2ND LEAD

Emergency extended, SL Parliament to debate de-merger of NorthEast

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 January 2007, 11:21 GMT]
The state of Emergency was passed for another month in Sri Lanka's Parliament Tuesday by a majority of 79 votes with 88 voting for and 9 against the motion. The motion, opposed by the Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians. UNP, JVP and JHU supported the motion. A debate on the de-merger of NorthEast would take place Wednesday.

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake moved the motion to extend the State of Emergency for another month in the parliament when it met Tuesday morning for the first time in the year 2007.

The State of Emergency was introduced in the country on August 13 last year is being extended every month with the approval of the parliament.

Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayake said during the month of December last year 59 members of the State armed forces were killed and about 250 injured.

The necessity to extend the State of Emergency has arisen as the LTTE has been continuing its attack on government military installations in the northeast, he said.

Meanwhile the Prime Minister was expected to present new regulations under the Prevention of Terrorism Act with the extension motion of the State of Emergency.