Sudan’s parliament approved on Monday the country’s nationwide state of emergency of six months instead of a year as ordered by President Omar al-Bashir. Bashir declared a year-long state of emergency from February 22 after an initial crackdown failed to suppress anti-government demonstrations that have rocked his administration for nearly three months. "A six-month state of emergency has been approved by a majority," the speaker of parliament Ibrahim Ahmed Omer said after lawmakers voted on the presidential decree. Parliament can extend the term after it expires. Deadly protests erupted on December 19 after a government decision to triple the price of bread. The demonstrations quickly escalated into nationwide rallies against Bashirs administration, with analysts calling it the biggest challenge to his rule stretching back three decades. Officials say 31 people have died in protest-related violence so far, while Human Rights Watch has given a death toll of at least 51 including medics and children. Mondays vote by lawmakers backed a recommendation from a parliamentary committee to shorten the state of emergency to six months. Activists and rights groups have slammed the measure as curbing freedoms in the country. "The parliament didnt want to reject Bashirs decree, so it came out with a compromise by keeping the state of emergency for six months," said prominent Sudanese human rights defender Nabil Adib. "But to me its not about six months or one year. The measure violates human rights that are permitted in the Sudanese constitution." Sudans Minister of Justice Mohamed Ahmed Salim defended the state of emergency in parliament, which is overwhelmingly dominated by lawmakers from the ruling National Congress Party. "What we have is a soft state of emergency and still people are complaining," he said. Bashir also disbanded the federal government and replaced all state governors with senior army officers. He banned unauthorized gatherings and gave security forces sweeping powers to quash the most serious protests yet against his three-decade rule.