Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga on Wednesday declared the state of emergency to prevent tension in the country following her sacking of three key government ministers the previous day, officials said.

Under the emergency state the army is allowed to have power to arrest people against law and order during the period of one year and the emergency state will last for 10 days, they said.

There is no formal statement in this regard given by the president so far.

Kumaratunga on Tuesday sacked Defense Minister Tilak Marapana, Interior Minister John Amaratunga and Mass Communication Minister Imtiasz Markar "in national interest".

She also ordered the suspension of the parliament till Nov. 19 and the deployment of army in key installations such as TV and radio stations as well as a power plant.

The president's order came at the crucial juncture of the country's ongoing Norwegian-brokered peace process only days after the LTTE rebels submitted on Friday to the government their counter proposals on an interim administration to be set up in the north and east.

The government admitted "fundamental differences" between the rebel proposals and those of the government handed over to the rebels in July but asked the Norwegian facilitators to arrange an initial meeting with the rebels in the near future in preparation for the formal resumption of peace talks early next year.

Peace talks have been stalled in April this year following six previous rounds since September last year.

Sri Lankan capital quiet as president imposes state of emergency  
 
Sri Lanka's capital Colombo remains quiet as President Chandrika Kumaratunga imposed a state of emergency on Wednesday following her sacking of three key government ministers the previous day, which plunged the country into a political crisis.

On the crowded streets in the heart of Colombo, traffic is running as slowing and steadily as usual, and business and schools open normally.

Security was tightened in Colombo with soldiers being deployed in India High Commission, Norwegian Embassy and headquarters of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, the main Muslim party in the country.

President Kumaratunga also ordered the deployment of army in the key government installations including the TV and radio stations as well as a power plant on Tuesday soon after the three ministers were removed.

In an unexpected move while her political rival Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is touring the United States, Kumaratunga removed Defense Minister Tilak Marapana, Interior Minister John Amaratunga and Mass Communication Minister Imtiasz Markar from their posts but withhold other portfolios as ministers.

Kumaratunga took over the three ministries as she said that she felt it urgent to remedy the disturbing security situation in the country during the past few months.

Kumaratunga also suspended the Parliament till Nov. 19 before the Parliament is scheduled to sit for the debate on the 2004 budget which will give salary increase to public servants.

The political crisis has caused the concern of international community. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said that the United Nations will continue to support the government's peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels. 

The United States and Japan also urged the Sri Lankan president and prime minister to cooperate and promote the Norwegian-brokered peace process.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe is currently in the United States meeting with President George Bush on the matter of Sri Lankan peace process and bilateral trade issues.

Wickremesinghe blamed the president for her irresponsible act to precipitate the country into national crisis but expressed confidence that his government could overcome the current crisis with the mandate given by the people and the support of international community.

He will return to the country on Friday as scheduled.

Kumaratunga justified her move saying her firm and steadfast action is necessary to safeguard the national security.

Kumaratunga's move came only days after the LTTE rebels submitted their counter proposals on an interim administration to be set up in the war-battered north and east in response to the government power-sharing plan handed over to the rebels in mid-July. 

The rebels demand wide range of powers for their Interim Self-governing Authority in the north and east, which the opposition led by Kumaratunga said "lays legal foundation for a further, separate and sovereign state."

The opposition party said that the settlement of the two-decade ethnic conflict lies in the devolution of power to the minority Tamils and the sovereignty of the country is not negotiable.

The government admitted "fundamental differences" between the rebel proposals and those of the government but asked the Norwegian facilitators to arrange an initial meeting with the rebels in the near future in preparation for the formal resumption of peace talks early next year.

Peace talks have been stalled by the rebels in April this year following six previous rounds of talks since September last year.

President Kumaratunga is highly critical of the government's handling of the Norwegian-brokered peace talks, accusing Wickremesinghe's government of giving too much concession to the rebels which has undermined the national security and sovereignty.

More than 64,000 people have been killed since the LTTE rebel launched their armed campaign to carve out an independent homeland for the minority Tamils in the north and east since 1983.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2003)