Sri Lankan government has decided to strengthen the personal security provided for all legislators, the parliament said Wednesday.
Speaker WJM Lokubandara told the House that security of members of parliament presently limited to just two policemen would be increased to four police personnel.
Based on threat assessments further measures would be taken to strengthen the security of those legislators who run high risk of being assassinated, Lokubandara said.
At least two parliamentarians have been killed since the beginning of the New Year. On New Year' day an opposition parliamentarian Thiagarajah Maheswaran was shot dead by an unidentified gunman days after his security was withdrawn by the government.
On Tuesday the Minister of Nation Building DM Dassanayake was killed in a road side bomb explosion blamed on the Tamil Tiger rebels.
The decision to increase levels of security followed a pledge on Tuesday by the Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake. This was in response to accusations from the main opposition United National Party (UNP) that government was responsible for the gunning down of Maheswaran.
Several other parliamentarians such as the leader of the main Muslim party, Rauff Hakeem, the former Minister of National Heritage Anura Bandaranaike, and another UNP legislator Mano Ganeshan had complained of reduced security.
Ganeshan last week had fled the country due to threats to his life. Opposition parties say reduced security has left them vulnerable for attacks by armed groups including the Tiger rebels.
Source:Xinhua
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