Even as people across Sri Lanka on Wednesday protested the detention of the former Army Chief, General Sarath Fonseka, it was announced that the snap parliamentary elections would be held on April 8.
The election schedule was announced after President Mahinda Rajapaksa dissolved Parliament on Tuesday night. The new Parliament is scheduled to meet on April 22.
Meanwhile, a fundamental rights violation petition, challenging the alleged arbitrary arrest of Gen. Fonseka, was filed before the Supreme Court by his wife Anoma and New Democratic Front secretary Shamila Perera.
The petition said the government had infringed on the General’s fundamental rights to the freedom of thought and conscience and the freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment, right to equality and equal protection of the law, freedom from discrimination on grounds of political opinion, freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention, freedom of speech and expression and freedom of association guaranteed in the Constitution.
