Colombo: The Sri Lankan Government today (November 1) called for fresh talks in response to the Tamil Tiger rebels unveiling a federal plan seeking sweeping powers in their landmark power-sharing plan aimed at ending three decades of ethnic violence, official sources said.

The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) called for an Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) in their first ever blueprint for a political settlement short of a separate state.

The LTTE handed over their eight-page document to the Colombo Government through Norwegian ambassador in Colombo, Hans Brattskar, on October 31 and the Government responded today calling for fresh talks.

The Government's chief peace negotiator G L Peiris said the way forward was through negotiations and a genuine commitment towards a lasting solution to a problem that has left over 60,000 people dead in the past three decades.

"While the disparities between the position of the parties are evident, the Government is convinced that the way forward lies through direct discussions of the issues arising from both sets of proposals," Peiris said.

He said they asked peace broker Norway to arrange a fresh meeting between the LTTE and the Government later this month of early next month to discuss the issues.

PTI