Dissolved Sri Lankan parliament reconvened to extend emergency

Sri Lanka's parliament which was dissolved last month to face fresh elections came to be reconvened Tuesday for an one-shot session to extend the state of emergency.

The 225-member assembly was dissolved on Feb. 9 and the elections have been fixed for April 8.

The assembly was reconvened to debate the monthly extension of emergency -- which gives security forces powers to deal with breakdown of law and acts of terrorism.

Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake who tabled the motion said that although the Tamil Tiger terrorist campaign was ended 10 months ago elements of the terror campaign still posed threats to national security.

The opposition accused the government of using the emergency laws to harass its political opponents.

The state of emergency was passed with a majority of 93 votes in support and 24 against. The main opposition party United National Party, the leftist JVP or the People's Liberation Front and the main Tamil party Tamil National Alliance voted against the extension.

Source: Xinhua