General Election on November 14

The Extraordinary Gazette notification issued by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake dissolving the Parliament of Sri Lanka effective midnight today (24), has been published by the Department of Government Printing.

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

It has also fixed 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 noon on October 11, 2024 as the nomination period, during which the Returning Officers shall receive nomination papers.

The President has issued the Gazette under 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.

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 percent of the votes.

During the election campaign, Dissanayake vowed to dissolve Parliament if he won and called for 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.

The cabinet 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.