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.

(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2003)