Sri Lanka’s recently re-elected President Mahinda Rajapaksa is dissolving parliament and calling early elections, officials say.“The president dissolves the parliament with effect from midnight today,” a senior official was quoted as saying.
Mr Rajapaksa won a second term in office by a large margin last month, but the outcome was rejected by his main rival, Gen Sarath Fonseka.
Gen Fonseka was detained by security forces on Monday.
Opposition politicians say the government is engaged in a witch-hunt and have called for protests on Wednesday against the arrest.
Announcing the dissolution of parliament, presidential spokesman Lucien Rajakarunanayake said it was up to the elections commissioner to decide dates for the parliamentary vote.