Emergency extended for another month

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 July 2006, 17:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Thursday extended the State of Emergency for another month with a majority of 85 votes. 102 parliamentarians of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UNP), Sinhala Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP and all monks party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) voted for the motion seeking the extension of the State of Emergency.

Only 17 parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF), Western Peoples' Front (WPP), and sole UNP parliamentarian Mr.T.Maheswaran voted against the motion.

Parliamentarians of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) abstained from voting.

The State of Emergency was declared in the country on August 13 last year following the assassination of Mr.Lakshman Kadirgamar, Foreign Minister on August 12 midnight in Colombo. Since then the State of Emergency is being extended every month by the parliament.