UNF to oppose, JVP undecided

4 March 2010 07:43 am

By Jamila Najmuddin


The United National Front (UNF) will oppose the extension of the emergency when it is taken up for debate at a special session of parliament next week, UNF General Secretary Tissa Attanayaka told Daily Mirror Online.

The UNF which includes the main opposition the United National Party (UNP), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Sri Lanka Freedom Party Mahajana Wing and the Democratic People's Front will voice its strong objection against the emergency especially at a time when the country has other issues to concentrate on, Attanayaka said.

“The government is clearly avoiding issues which they should be focusing on by extending the emergency,” Attanayaka said.

The JVP which will also attend the special session however remains undecided on whether it will oppose or accept the emergency next week. 

 JVP Member Anura Kumara Dissanayaka said that his party would hold a discussion on the matter soon in order to reach a decision. Both the JVP and UNP had opposed the emergency when it was taken up for debate just before parliament was dissolved last month.

Parliament will reconvene for a special session on March 9 to extend state of emergency by another month. Parliament was dissolved on February 9 in order to conduct General Elections next month but President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to convene a special session of the house next week to extend the State of emergency. (Daily Mirror online)