LONDON - British lawmakers on Friday resumed a marathon debate on an anti-terrorism bill that is deadlocked between a majority for the bill in the House of Commons and a majority against in the House of Lords.
Appearing tired as a second day of round-the-clock debate began in the House of Commons, the Labour government`s Home Secretary Charles Clarke urged the unelected Lords to bow to the will of the elected Commons.
"It is time for the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats in the other place to respect the considered view of the elected chamber," Clarke said.
"And I urge the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in the other house to give us their support," he said.
For 12 hours, "there has been no movement at all" by the opposition members of the House of Lords, he said, referring to concessions the government has made in the bill.
In interviews with British television, Clarke said the resistance in the Lords was a major constitutional issue because the Lords was made up of unelected representatives.
The bill has been batted back and forth between the houses since Thursday.
In chaotic scenes, deeply embarrassing for the government of Prime Minister Tony Blair ahead of a general election expected in May, ministers have tried repeatedly to force the legislation through the upper chamber.
The government desperately wants the new law -- which allows restrictions including a form of house arrest to be placed on terror suspects without trial -- to be passed before existing legislation expires on Monday.
But despite repeated government pleas to back down, early Friday morning the Lords voted to send the legislation back to the Commons for a third time with a string of amendments designed to make the anti-terror powers less stringent.
03/11/2005 09:19 GMT