Colombo: The historic power-sharing plan announced by Tamil Tiger guerrillas rely heavily on a Constitutional amendment based on the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka peace accord which the rebels repudiated at the time.

The Interim Self-Governing Authority proposed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has as its centrepiece the 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution setting up provincial councils.

The foundation for a federal State structure in Sri Lanka was laid with the 13th amendment that was introduced as a direct result of the Indo-Sri Lanka peace pact which tried but failed to end Tamil separatism.

The Tigers labelled those who supported the peace pact as "traitors" and wiped them out in a bloody campaign that also killed at least 1,200 Indian troops sent to the island for peacekeeping duties.

Western and Asian diplomatic sources in Colombo saw the LTTE proposals, the first ever blue-print by the Tigers for politically ending ethnic violence in the island, as a practical document that was "do-able."

Apart from a clause seeking control over marine and off-shore resources and power to regulate access to the adjacent sea, all other demands had already been conceded in a series of offers by a previous Government since 1995.

"The Government was expecting the Tigers to ask for the maximum, something like a confederation, but they have settled for a federal structure," a diplomatic source said. "This is a very positive development."

Government's chief peace negotiator G L Peiris admitted that there were "disparities" between the LTTE's proposal and an offer made by the Government in July, but hoped both sides could resolve differences through talks.

Peiris also turned to India to note that India wanted any interim solution to be an integral part of a final peace deal.

India supports the idea of devolution of power in Sri Lanka within one State.

PTI