Sri Lanka's Sirisena 'under strong pressure' for new polls
Jehan Perera is Executive Director of the Colombo-based National Peace Council (NPC) of Sri Lanka.
29.06.2015
President Maithripala Sirisena recently dissolved parliament, paving the way for fresh elections in mid-August. DW speaks to Sri Lankan political analyst Jehan Perera about the reasons behind the move.
Sirisena issued the notice at midnight on Friday, June 26, announcing the election for the 225-member Parliament for August 17, some 10 months ahead of schedule. The new parliament would be convened on September 2, officials said. Sirisena's decision came after PM Ranil Wickremesinghe pressed for elections because the ruling United National Party (UNP) lacked sufficient majority to pass reforms.
