TN leaders condemn Sri Lankan parliament's dissolution

Tamil Nadu political leaders on Saturday condemned the dissolution of Sri Lanka's parliament by President Maithripala Sirisena and urged the Centre to take necessary steps for the protection of Tamils in the island nation.

In a statement issued here, DMK President M.K. Stalin said Sirisena's action was "murder of democracy".

"The Indian government instead of watching this silently should condemn the action and also take necessary steps to protect the Eelam Tamils," Stalin said.

PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss said India cannot remain quiet over the developments in Sri Lanka as it impacts the former's security and also the welfare of Tamils there.

Ramadoss said the Sri Lankan elections will not be held in an honest manner.

On Friday night, Sirisena announced that parliament would stand dissolved from Saturday 12 a.m. and nominations for the parliamentary elections slated for January 5, 2019, would be called from November 19 to 26.

He set January 17 as the date for the new parliament to convene.

The move comes after the President sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed former president Mahinda Rajapakse to the post on October 26.

Sirisena made the move after his United People's Freedom Alliance quit the national unity government which it had formed with Wickremesinghe's United National Party.

Rajapakse has welcomed the President's decision to dissolve parliament, saying a parliamentary election "will truly establish the will of the people and make way for a stable country".-IANS