Sri Lanka’s new president calls parliamentary election to consolidate his mandate

Associated Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has dissolved Parliament and called for a parliamentary election in less than two months in an effort to consolidate his mandate following his weekend election victory. A government notification said that Parliament was dissolved effective midnight Tuesday, and that parliamentary elections were set for Nov. 14. Dissanayake’s party holds only three seats in the 225-member Parliament and the early election could help him take control of the chamber while his approval ratings remain intact following his win in Saturday’s polling.