Sirisena's political calculations go haywire: US experts on Lanka crisis

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena's move to dismiss Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replacing him with Mahinda Rajapaksa was a "poor decision" that went haywire, prominent think tanks in the US said, emphasising on the need of a free and fair election in the island nation.

Sirisena on October 9 dissolved parliament and announced snap polls on January 5 next year after it became evident that he did not have enough support in the House to prove the premiership of Rajapaksa.

Rajapaksa needed the support of minimum 113 parliamentarians in the 225-member House to prove his majority