President Maithripala Sirisena, issuing a Gazette extraordinaire, prorogued Parliament with immediate effect on Thursday (12) night.

Parliament will meet again on May 8.

Only one session of Parliament was scheduled for before May 8 but that will be put off till Parliament reconvenes.

A prorogation is when the business of Parliament is discontinued until the next session, but a prorogation does not amount to the dissolving of Parliament.

The last time Parliament was prorogued was on May 17, 2009.