President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, dissolved the 8th Parliament on March 2, paving the way for a snap General Election, reports Daily News. The five-year term of the 8th Parliament was due to expire in August. According to the Gazette notification, the General Election is to be held on April 25 and the new Parliament is to meet on May 14. The respective Returning Officers will accept nominations for the General Election from March 12-March 19. According to the Constitution, the President is required to convene the new parliament on a date not later than three months after the date of dissolution of Parliament. Under the 19th Amendment, the President has been vested with the power to dissolve the Parliament after four and a half years of its 5-year term is completed.