COLOMBO, April 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Sri Lankans on Friday go to polls to elect the country's 13th parliament since it's independence from British colonial rule in 1948.

    Polling stations opened at 0:700 a.m. local time with over 12 million registered voters eligible to vote in the election to appoint a new 225-member assembly.

    The election, the third since October 2000 and four years aheadof schedule, was called by President Chandrika Kumaratunga on Feb.7 when she dissolved the parliament. Enditem