Colombo: With peace talks emerging as a key issue in the run-up to the April 2 polls in Sri Lanka, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and its breakaway faction leader today (March 21, 2004) rejected claims by President Chandrika Kumaratunga that her party was in contact with them.

"It is totally an untruthful statement," LTTE's political wing leader S P Thamilselvan said, referring to Kumaratunga's public remarks that her party was in contact with the Tigers and that they had expressed willingness to resume negotiations with her.

However, he said LTTE were committed to resume peace talks with a possible Government led by Kumaratunga after the Parliamentary vote.

Kumaratunga said in an interview to BBC last week that there had been various contacts between her party and the mainstream Tiger leadership, but refused to give details. She also said the renegade rebel leader V Muralitharan, better known as Karuna, had tried to make contact with her, but she refused to reciprocate his overtures.

However, a spokesman for Karuna said that they did not make any attempt to approach the President.

"That is totally incorrect," Karuna's spokesman Varadan said when contacted by telephone.

Thamilselvan, in an interview with the 'Sunday Leader' newspaper, said, "If President Kumaratunga could develop an agreement with Karuna and think she could find a solution, we wish her good luck."

"Then she need not seek our help," he said.