Emergency to be extended

By Gandhya Senanayaka

Parliament is likely to reconvene for a special session next week to extend the state of emergency by another month, Government sources told Daily Mirror online.

Parliament was dissolved on 9 February 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.

Meanwhile AFP reported that the President signed a proclamation last night extending the tough laws by a further month.
 
"The parliament now stands re-convened until the elections are conducted on April 8 and the new assembly holds its first sittings on April 22," AFP quoted an official as saying.

The president can extend the emergency for a period of one month at a time, but it must be ratified by parliament within 10 days.