Sri Lanka’s new President dissolves Parliament

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has signed the Extraordinary Gazette notification dissolving the Parliament of Sri Lanka effective from midnight today (24).

The relevant Gazette notification has been sent to the Government Printer to be published, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD).

Meanwhile, the Government Printer confirmed that the Gazette notification pertaining to the dissolution of the Parliament has been received by the Department of Government Printing.

The President has issued the Gazette by virtue of the powers vested in him by Article 70 of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and in pursuance of the provisions of Section 10 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981.

The proclamation dissolves Parliament with effect from midnight today and summons the new Parliament to meet on the November 21, 2024.

It also fixes November 14, 2024 as the date for the election of the new Members of Parliament.

The Gazette notification further specifies the period beginning on October 04 and ending at 12 noon October 11, 2024 as the nomination period, during which nomination papers shall be received by the Returning Officers. 

Dissanayake, leader of the People’s Liberation Front (JVP) and the National People’s Power (NPP) alliance, won a landslide victory over the weekend by beating 38 other candidates and garnering over 5.6 million or 42.3 per cent of the votes. 

During the election campaign, Dissanayake vowed to dissolve Parliament if he wins and call snap elections. The present Parliament’s five-year term ends in August next year.

His party had just three lawmakers in Sri Lanka’s 225-member parliament.

Dissanayake was sworn into office on Monday while he appointed academic and first-time lawmaker Harini Amarasuriya as the new prime minister on Tuesday, making her the third woman to be appointed to the post.

On the same day, he appointed a three-member Cabinet which includes NPP’s Vijitha Herath, Amarasuriya and himself, which will serve as the caretaker government until the polls are held.  

Meanwhile, President Dissanayake is expected to make a special statement while addressing the nation at 7.30 pm tomorrow (25 September), according to the Department of Government Information.

Gazette on Dissolvement of Parliament by Adaderana Online on Scribd