COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- A state of emergency invoked by Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga was in its second day, with the cabinet demanding parliament be reconvened.
Kumaratunga issued the state of emergency while the nation's prime minister, Ranil Wickramasinghe, was on an official visit to Washington.
The declaration, among other things, gives the military wide-ranging powers of detention, bans public gatherings and restricts the media.
The BBC said Thursday the cabinet, condemning what it termed the "gross abuse of presidential power," also called for the reinstatement of the ministers of defense, interior and information.
Kumaratunga suspended parliament for two weeks and dismissed the three ministers Tuesday, a day before declaring the state of emergency.
The president's chief adviser told reporters the steps were necessary because of the worsening security situation in the country.
The president had previously criticized concessions made by the government to the Tamil Tigers rebel group. However, she denied any connection between her emergency declaration and rebel proposals for power sharing. She said she was committed to maintaining the 20-month-old ceasefire with the rebels.
