Colombo: Suspected Tamil Tiger guerrillas gunned down a local council chairman in eastern Sri Lanka today (July 21, 2004) in another setback to attempts to revive the island's faltering peace process, officials said.

Gunmen riding a motorcycle shot dead the politician representing the rival Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) at Akkaraipattu in Ampara district this morning, police said.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were believed to be responsible, they added.

The killing came hours after the top Sri Lankan official handling the peace process with the LTTE met with his rebel counterpart here in the first high level contact in months.

Jayantha Dhanapala, the head of the Government's peace secretariat, met with S Puleedevan in what was officially described as a "courtesy call".

However, official sources said the meeting was a useful icebreaker.

The latest violence in the East came even as Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen was expected in Colombo on Sunday to hold talks with the Government and Tigers amid fears that the two sides could slip back to war.

The Tigers have warned the Government that it's alleged backing of a breakaway Tiger leader in the island's east amounted to a "proxy war" and could undermine the Oslo-brokered truce, in place since February 2002.