External Affairs Minister Gamini Peiris told Parliament that the government wants to withdraw 10 provisions of the law that he deemed “redundant.” They include the banning of propaganda supportive of a terrorist cause; allowing security forces to take over and confiscate property from people involved in terrorist activities; and exempting security forces from the law in certain circumstances.

“We are today in a position to dispense with a vast majority of the emergency law,” Peiris said.

Lawmakers will debate the proposal for two days and vote on it Wednesday. It requires a simple majority to pass. The government has a resounding majority in Parliament and will likely carry it through.

Sri Lanka has been under emergency rule for most part of the past 30 years and the last phase of emergency was enforced in 2005 after suspected Tamil Tiger snipers killed former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

Prime Minister Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Jayaratne said that the government plans to set up what he called a “Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission” to investigate losses and pay compensation to the victims of war.

Tamil Tiger rebels fought since 1983 to create an independent homeland for the country's minority Tamils who suffered discrimination at the hands of governments controlled by majority Sinhalese.

An estimated 80,000-100,000 people were killed in the violence before government troops crushed the rebels last May.