Sri Lanka will hold national elections by April, the government said on Tuesday, confirming long-running speculation that President Mahinda Rajapaksa would go to the polls early to capitalise on his post-war popularity.
Rajapaksa's ruling coalition won a two-thirds majority at a weekend poll in his native Southern Province, and says it is confident it can repeat that performance nationally. Doing so would give it the votes to change the constitution.
"Presidential and parliamentary elections will be held before April," Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena told reporters. "But the final decision will be taken at the party convention scheduled on Nov. 15."
Earlier, government sources had told Reuters the president could call early polls by January, hoping to lock in a second six-year term with his popularity peaking after his government defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels and ended a 25-year war in May.
Those sources had said a parliamentary election would follow in March. It was unclear whether Rajapaksa would call both elections together, a possibility that has also been raised.
Speculation has been rife since Monday that Rajapaksa will soon dissolve parliament to clear the way to call new polls.
With the weekend victory, Rajapaksa's ruling coalition has won all eight elections to select provincial councillors since May 2008. Only the formerly Tiger-ruled Northern Province has yet to vote.
Analysts have said Rajapaksa's popularity could fade if anticipated economic benefits from peace fail to materialise. There is already public grumbling over the high cost of living.
According to the constitution, the earliest Rajapaksa can call a presidential poll is when he completes his fourth year at the helm in November. A parliamentary election was due in April, and the next presidential poll in November 2011.
reuters
Rajapaksa's ruling coalition won a two-thirds majority at a weekend poll in his native Southern Province, and says it is confident it can repeat that performance nationally. Doing so would give it the votes to change the constitution.
"Presidential and parliamentary elections will be held before April," Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena told reporters. "But the final decision will be taken at the party convention scheduled on Nov. 15."
Earlier, government sources had told Reuters the president could call early polls by January, hoping to lock in a second six-year term with his popularity peaking after his government defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels and ended a 25-year war in May.
Those sources had said a parliamentary election would follow in March. It was unclear whether Rajapaksa would call both elections together, a possibility that has also been raised.
Speculation has been rife since Monday that Rajapaksa will soon dissolve parliament to clear the way to call new polls.
With the weekend victory, Rajapaksa's ruling coalition has won all eight elections to select provincial councillors since May 2008. Only the formerly Tiger-ruled Northern Province has yet to vote.
Analysts have said Rajapaksa's popularity could fade if anticipated economic benefits from peace fail to materialise. There is already public grumbling over the high cost of living.
According to the constitution, the earliest Rajapaksa can call a presidential poll is when he completes his fourth year at the helm in November. A parliamentary election was due in April, and the next presidential poll in November 2011.
reuters
