Sri Lankan constitution plans: MP resigns

A member of parliament from Sri Lanka's ruling party, the People's Alliance, has resigned in protest over plans to bring in a new constitution.

The MP, Jayasena Rajakaruna, said he could not vote in favour of the changes, which are aimed at devolving power to the regions to try to end Sri Lanka's long-running civil war.

The opposition United National Party says it won't support the reforms, and a number of other parties, as well as Buddhist monks, have gone to court to try to block them.

Mr Rajakaruna is the first ruling party member to resign over the planned constitutional changes; correspondents say President Chandrika Kuramatunga could already face difficulties gaining the necessary two-thirds majority to pass them into law.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service