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The Committee takes note of the Government’s report.

With regard to its previous comments concerning the steps taken for the adoption of the draft Labour Bill which had been prepared with the assistance of the ILO, the Committee notes that the Government indicates that since 8 October 2003 the Bill has received presidential assent as Labour Act 2004 (Act 561), and that it will transmit a copy of the Act in its next report. The Committee requests the Government to provide a copy of the Labour Act 2004, so as to enable it to examine its conformity with the Convention.

The Committee also notes that according to the Government, its previous comments concerning the Emergency Powers Act, 1994, which grants extensive powers to suspend the operations of any law and to prohibit public meetings and processions, have been well noted. The Committee recalls that the Government had indicated in a previous report that the Emergency Powers Act will be reviewed in accordance with the Committee’s comments. It therefore once again requests the Government to take the necessary measures in the near future to repeal this Act or to exclude explicitly the exercise of freedom of association from its scope of application.