Tigers get 2 weeks to decide on talks

President Chandrika Kuma-ratunga asked the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to return to the negotiating table they left in April last year.

"The necessary environment needed for the resumption of talks has been created," Kumaratunga said over national television and in state-controlled newspapers.

"Therefore, I request the LTTE to inform the government, within this month, if they are ready to commence peace talks. At present, the LTTE is finding various excuses not to come to peace talks."

She did not say what action her government would take if the Tigers failed to rejoin the Norwegian-led initiative aimed at ending three decades of ethnic bloodshed.

Kumaratunga dismissed the previous government which entered into a ceasefire with the Tamil Tigers in February 2002.

Her party narrowly won the April parliamentary elections, but continued the same peace initiative.

Kumaratunga said in an interview broadcast overnight that the Tamil Tigers had been changing their stance on the talks.

She said they had said there would be no point negotiating with her because her term was due to end soon, but pointed out: "You are dealing with a government, not an individual."

Norway's attempts last week to restart the talks failed despite a high-level visit by Foreign Minister Jan Petersen.

Despite the failure to revive negotiations, both sides pledged in talks with the Norwegians that they would abide by the ceasefire agreement.

Kumaratunga said the Tigers had also argued that her Marxist-backed coalition was not speaking with one voice.

"That is not true," Kumaratunga said adding that her main Marxist ally, the JVP, or People's Liberation Front was willing to go along with a consensus that would emerge from the discussions with the rebels.

The JVP is opposed to devolution of power advocated by Kuma-ratunga and instead want "decentralisation" of the administration to smaller territorial units than what is demanded by the Tigers.

The Tigers made it clear to the Norwegians last week that they wanted their proposal for self rule taken up at talks and rejected Kumaratunga's suggestion to link the self-rule proposals to a final settlement.