SL parliament approves State of Emergency

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 August 2005, 12:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Thursday adopted a government motion to extend the State of Emergency for a month after a one-day debate with a majority of 103 votes. 124 MPs voted for the motion and 21 against. President Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge declared the State of Emergency soon after the killing of Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, and summoned the special session of the parliament to approve it on Thursday. According to the Constitution, the State of Emergency should be approved by parliament after ten days of its declaration.

The main opposition United National Party (UNP), Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the dissident Sri Lanka Muslim Congress voted with the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF) and Western Province Peoples Front (WPPF) parliamentarians voted against the motion.

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) parliamentarians abstained from voting.

At the conclusion of the debate Mr. Mavai Senathirajah requested the Speaker to put the motion to vote and the Speaker agreed to it, sources said.