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S Lanka pushes ahead on latest peace initiative

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's ruling People's Alliance hopes this week to move a step closer to ending the long-running ethnic war with Tamil Tiger rebels.

Constitutional reforms to devolve more power to regional councils will be discussed with minority Tamil parties as a prelude to what the government hopes will be a consensus on a deal to be put to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The LTTE rebels have been fighting for a separate homeland in the north and east of the country since 1983. More than 55,000 people have been killed in the fighting.

State media said on Sunday Tamil political parties had been called for talks by a special committee on the draft constitution headed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga.

The president has said that she would hold talks with the opposition United National Party (UNP), which did an about-face last month and promised to back the constitutional reforms, for a consensus before taking it to the LTTE.

"The UNP is expected to come on board on February 14", the Island newspaper quoted Justice and Constitutional Minister Gamini Peiris as saying.

Peiris said the government planned to present the rebels with a package agreed to by all parties, including Tamil parties, to enhance the prospects of implementation.

Earlier the UNP had said it would not support the reforms, putting the government in a fix as it lacks a two-thirds majority in parliament.

Last week Kumaratunga said in an address to mark the country's 52nd independence anniversary that she believed the country was finally on track to end the ethnic war.

Norway has said it is trying to broker peace between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE, and local media said on Sunday that Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek was expected in Colombo later this month to discuss the agenda for talks.

Kumaratunga's government initiated talks with the rebels after winning power in 1994, but negotiations broke down after the LTTE accused her of not being serious and sank two naval boats in the eastern Trincomalee harbour.

Since then the fighting has escalated.-Reuters