A private poll-monitoring body, the People's Action for Free and Fair Elections, said continuation of emergency rule could undermine the vote slated to be held after last month's presidential election, won by Mahinda Rajapakse.

"The use of emergency laws could seriously affect the campaign and there is no guarantee that the government will not use it against political opponents," the group's executive director, Rohana Hettiarachchi, said. More... Discuss this story Published: Sat Feb 6 15:25:36 EST 2010

Sri Lanka defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May in a final offensive that prompted allegations of human rights abuses from the international community.

Russia, one of the main arms suppliers during the war apart from China and India, backed the Sri Lankan government on several occasions at the Geneva human rights council to head off a debate over the conduct of the war in Sri Lanka. More... Discuss this story Published: Sat Feb 6 15:30:20 EST 2010

People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (Paffrel) said political parties must encourage more people from the Northern and Eastern provinces to vote in the parliamentary elections.

"There are a lot of people in the two provinces whose names have not appeared in the voter register. So political parties must take action to give them franchise," Rohana Hettiarachchi, executive director of Paffrel, told reporters. More...Discuss this story Published: Sat Feb 6 15:26:17 EST 2010