COLOMBO, Nov 10: Sri Lanka’s government on Monday called for snap polls to resolve a political crisis that has led to the indefinite postponement of talks to end two decades of conflict with the Tamil Tigers.

The government’s chief negotiator, G. L. Peiris, said he would discuss the turmoil with Norwegian peace brokers following President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s sacking of three ministers and suspension of parliament.

But he made it clear that talks which the government had expected to hold with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) later this month or early next month will not go ahead until the political turmoil is resolved.

“Given everything that has happened in the past few days, it is logical to assume that we have to resolve this threshold issue before anything else,” Mr Peiris said.

He was referring to the power struggle with Chandrika Kumaratunga, who took over the portfolios of defence, interior and information from the government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, on Tuesday.

On Sunday Mr Wickremesinghe dropped a bombshell, offering to step down from leading the peace initiative and transfer the responsibility to President Kumaratunga.

She called for a government of national unity as a way out of the conflict, and invited Mr Wickremesinghe for talks on Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday.

“In view of the current political situation in the country and my proposal last week to form a government of reconstruction and reconciliation, I would like to meet you in order to discuss your views on this matter,” Ms Kumaratunga said.

There was no immediate response from the prime minister, who spent Monday meeting ministers, party legislators and Colombo-based diplomats.

Mr Wickremesinghe said he could not be responsible for maintaining a truce with the LTTE while a hostile president held onto vital levers of power.

Norwegian envoys are expected to arrange a preliminary meeting between the government and the LTTE to discuss a blueprint for peace unveiled by the Tigers on Oct 31.

The Tigers also announced 10 days ago they were ending a seven-month boycott of formal peace talks.

Mr Peiris said the government would have “a candid discussion” with the Norwegian special peace envoy, Erik Solheim, and Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen.

Diplomats said the peace process was not over, but the political crisis in the cohabitation government had put negotiations on hold. “The prime minister has made a tactical move, but you may not see (Kumaratunga) either giving the portfolios back or taking over the peace process,” an Asian diplomat said.—AFP