Updated on
Summary
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse on Tuesday sacked the national parliament and cleared the way for a national election two months ahead of schedule, his spokesman said. Earlier, the main challenger for President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka's recent elections was arrested. General Sarath Fonseka, once hailed as a national hero for leading the army to defeat the Tamil Tigers, was arrested by the military on charges he conspired against the president during his term as army commander. President Mahinda Rajapaksa won last month's election by an 18-point margin over Fonseka, who accused his former commander-in-chief of rigging the vote. On the night votes were being counted, soldiers surrounded the hotel where Fonseka was staying, in what the general said was an attempt to arrest him. Since then, the government has arrested at least 37 of Fonseka's staff including 15 former army officers working for him. Fonseka is expected to be tried by a military court, in a hearing closed to the public.
