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| Sri Lankan parliament dissolved | Sri Lankan parliament dissolved |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Sri Lanka's recently re-elected President Mahinda Rajapaksa is dissolving parliament, clearing the way for early elections, officials say. | |
| "The president dissolves the parliament with effect from midnight today," a senior official was quoted as saying. | "The president dissolves the parliament with effect from midnight today," a senior official was quoted as saying. |
| Mr Rajapaksa won a second term in office by a large margin last month, but the outcome was rejected by his main rival, Gen Sarath Fonseka. | Mr Rajapaksa won a second term in office by a large margin last month, but the outcome was rejected by his main rival, Gen Sarath Fonseka. |
| Gen Fonseka was detained by security forces on Monday. | Gen Fonseka was detained by security forces on Monday. |
| Opposition politicians say the government is engaged in a witch-hunt and have called for protests on Wednesday against the arrest. | Opposition politicians say the government is engaged in a witch-hunt and have called for protests on Wednesday against the arrest. |
| Announcing the dissolution of parliament, presidential spokesman Lucien Rajakarunanayake said it was up to the elections commissioner to decide dates for the parliamentary vote. | Announcing the dissolution of parliament, presidential spokesman Lucien Rajakarunanayake said it was up to the elections commissioner to decide dates for the parliamentary vote. |
| Sri Lanka's parliament, elected in 2004, could have continued until April. | |
| President Rajapaksa's win in January followed the government's successful military campaign to end a long insurgency by Tamil Tiger rebels in the north and east of the country. |