By Canadian Press

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

Sep 24, 2024 | 11:11 AM

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake dissolved Parliament late Tuesday and called for parliamentary elections in less than three weeks in an effort to consolidate power after his weekend election victory.

A government notification said that Parliament was dissolved effective midnight Tuesday, and that parliamentary elections were set for Nov. 14. The move was expected, as Dissanayake had vowed to do so during his election campaign.

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.

The dissolution came hours after Dissanayake swore in a female lawmaker in his coalition as his prime minister, making her the country’s first woman to head the government in 24 years.

Harini Amarasuriya, 54, a university lecturer and activist, comes from a similar background as Dissanayake and both are members of the Marxist-leaning National People’s Power coalition, which remains in the opposition in Parliament.

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His victory in Saturday’s election over ex-President Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa came as Sri Lankans rejected the old political guard whom they blamed for pushing the country into an unprecedented economic crisis.

The last woman to serve as prime minister, the second most-powerful position after the president, was Sirimavo Bandaranaike. She was also the world’s first female head of government when she took up the post in 1960, and served three terms until 2000.

Bharatha Mallawarachi, The Associated Press