COLOMBO: Sri Lanka`s Supreme Court on Tuesday began assessing a draft bill that would amend the island`s constitution to allow President Mahinda Rajapakse to run for office for a third term.

Registrar of the Supreme Court said the five-judge bench would give their decision to the president and speaker of parliament within 24 hours.

On Monday, the cabinet approved a proposal to scrap the two-term limit for presidents, which would enable Rajapakse to strengthen his grip on power by standing again in November 2016.
Rajapakse came to power in 2005 and won a second presidential term in January, propelled by the victory of government forces over the Tamil Tiger rebels last May, which ended 37 years of bloodshed.

BDST: 1644 HRS, August 31, 2010