Colombo, January 28: Re-elected President Mahinda Rajapaksa will dissolve parliament shortly and call a legislative election, his office said Thursday, in a move that would let him reshape the unwieldly coalition now backing him.
Rajapaksa won a thumping victory on Tuesday over his former army commander, General Sarath Fonseka, in the Indian Ocean island’s first nationwide election since the defeat of the separatist Tamil Tigers.
“(The) President is to dissolve parliament and go for a general election soon,” presidential spokesman Lucien Rajakarunanayake said.
He declined to say precisely when the president would dissolve the legislature. The present parliament’s term is due to expire in April.
Disproving forecasts Rajapaksa and the former general would race to a photo finish, the veteran politician won 57.8 per cent of 10.4 million votes cast against 40.2 for Fonseka.
–Agencies