Colombo extends emergency without debate

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 January 2011, 18:25 GMT]
The SL parliament Friday evening adopted the motion to extend the state of emergency for another month by a majority of 118 votes without a debate. This was the first time in the history of Sri Lanka parliament the state of emergency was extended without a debate. The debate on the motion is to be held on February 8, according to a decision taken at the leaders of political parties represented in SL parliament.

SL Prime Minister D M Jayaratne moved that the state of emergency should be extended by another one month.

123 parliamentarians of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and its constituents voted for the motion.

DNA MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake at that stage said the opposition agrees to take a vote without a debate. But he wanted a full day debate on February on the extension of the state of emergency.