Guinea MPs terminate martial law

The parliament voted unanimously against renewing martial law

The parliament of Guinea has voted unanimously not to extend the state of emergency declared 11 days ago.

President Lansana Conte had asked parliament to renew martial law until a general strike is called off.

President Conte imposed the emergency following weeks of violent street protests against his leadership.

Trade unions have welcomed the vote but said they intend to continue their crippling general strike until a new prime minister is found.

The martial law measures had imposed a curfew and gave the military sweeping powers to search and arrest.

It now expires at midnight local time (GMT) on Friday.

The measures had allowed some calm to be restored after weeks of violence in which more than 100 people were killed.

"We will not prolong the state of siege and permit the army forces to continue to terrorize the peaceful populace and violate innocent people," said Thierno Ousmane Diallo, an opposition party member.

The unions want President Lansana Conte to relinquish his near-absolute power, saying he is too ill and too old to run the country.

"The problem now centres on getting a consensus prime minister," union negotiator Boubacar Biro Barry told Reuters news agency after meeting West African mediators.

"If one is named today, the impasse will be unblocked immediately."

On Thursday, former Nigerian military ruler Ibrahim Babangida arrived in Guinea for the second time in two weeks to mediate between the unions and the government. The striking workers reject a government proposal to include opposition members in a broad-based administration.

They say newly-appointed prime minister Eugene Camara should be replaced as he is too close to Mr Conte.

The violent unrest in Guinea has affected towns near the borders with Sierra Leone and Liberia as well as the capital, Conakry, and neighbouring countries fear a sudden influx of refugees.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf said West African leaders were trying to find a solution.

"If anything happens to Guinea, it could spill over. All our borders are porous," she said.