The promise of reforms “have vanished” in Sri Lanka, said The Hindu in an editorial this morning, as it called the move to dissolve parliament an “act of desperation” and warned that confidence in writing a new constitution for the island has been undermined.

“Sri Lanka is at a crossroads where it has to make a crucial choice between democratic consolidation or a retreat to authoritarianism,” said the paper. “The judiciary has a crucial task at hand.”

Sri Lanka’s Special Task Force has deployed troops to state media institutions: Lake House; Rupavahini; Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation; and ITN; as well as to the Attorney General’s Department and the Department of Government Printers, claiming that this is to bolster 'security'. 

State media agencies were among the first institutions to be taken under the control of the de facto Rajapaksa-Sirisena government, with Rajapaksa supporters taking the institutions by force within hours of him swearing-in as prime minister last month. 

Journalists and media workers said they were thinking of quitting their jobs as a result of the political interference. 

^{File photograph. Sri Lanka's current president Maithripala Sirisena}

Sri Lanka’s president claimed that he had to dissolve parliament in a surprise announcement on Friday or else there would have been “commotion and fights in every city and every village”.

The annual tree planting drive in the Northern Province to honour fallen LTTE cadres was marked with a cultural programme and plant sale and exhibition in Jaffna on Saturday.

^{File photograph. M K Stalin, current president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).}

Political parties in Tamil Nadu condemned the dissolving of Sri Lanka's parliament, describing it as a "political emergency that threatened stability and jeopardised the welfare of Tamils", PTI reports. 

The UN Secretary General expressed concern over Sri Lanka's ongoing political crisis, calling on he government to ensure the safety of all Sri Lankans and to uphold its commitments to human rights, justice and reconciliation. 

Sri Lanka's political turmoil sparked by the president's sacking of the prime minister last month descended further into crisis last week after his decision to dissolve parliament, sacking all 225 lawmakers and calling fresh parliamentary elections. 

<p>The European Union said it&nbsp;expected a "swift and peaceful" resolution to Sri Lanka's political&nbsp;crisis in line with the constitution.</p> <p>Sri Lanka's political turmoil sparked by the president's sacking of the prime minister last month descended further into crisis last week after his decision to dissolve parliament, sacking all 225 lawmakers and calling fresh parliamentary elections.&nbsp;</p>

At least six people have been declared missing after heavy floods burst irrigation tanks in Mullaitivu, as flooding affected many parts of the North-East this week.

The Sri Lankan military has reportedly been deployed in the region, as flooding from heavy rains has affected as many as 647 people.

Namal Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan parliamentarian and son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, has joined the Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP) leading a potential exodus from Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

“I am joining the [SLPP] effective immediately,” Namal tweeted on Saturday. “We will strive to create a broader coalition with many stakeholders under the leadership of [Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa] to face the upcoming General Election and come out victorious.”

<p>The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is set to take legal action against the sudden dissolution of parliament by Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena.</p> <p>The party’s spokesperson and MP, M A Sumanthiran said the party would be going to the Supreme Court to challenge the dissolution.</p>

Sri Lanka’s United National Party (UNP) has met with the elections commission and plans to take action in the Supreme Court against the dissolution of parliament by President Maithripala Sirisena.

“The emerging tyranny of Maithripala Sirisena will be fought in the courts, in Parliament and at an election,” Mangala Samaraweera, the UNP’s finance minister said.

<p>Sri Lanka's president Maithripala Sirisena on Friday brought the Department of Government Printing under his power, announcing an extraordinary gazette notice to that effect.&nbsp;</p> <p>The move came as Sirisena dissolved parliament, sacking all 225 lawmakers and calling fresh parliamentary elections on January 5, 2019.&nbsp;</p>

The TNA MP Raviraj was remembered in Jaffna today on the 12th anniversary of his assassination.

TNA MP, Mavai Senathirajah, fellow party members and local residents took part in a commemorative event by the statue erected in his honour.