Colombo: Softening its stand on the peace talks with LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), JVP (Janata Vimukti Peramuna), a key ally in the Freedom Alliance Government today (Aug 5, 2004) said they were ready to accept negotiations on self-rule for the Tamil Tigers.

The JVP which had earlier threatened to pull out of the Government if talks were revived basing on rebel proposal for self-rule, said that they were being "flexible" in helping President Chandrika Kumaratunga carry forward the Norwegian-backed peace process.

Lands Minister Anura Dissanayake, who is also a senior member of the JVP, said they were ready to help Kumaratunga re-start peace talks that had been on hold since April last year.

Norway's peace envoy Vidar Helgesen left in Colombo last week after warning that other members of the Sri Lankan Government should help Kumaratunga carry forward the process.

"Every Government had adopted to the changing needs of the time. Dissanayake told reporters in Colombo. "What we are saying is that we can have talks on an interim administration linked to a final settlement?"

This is a departure from the JVP's earlier stand that an interim administration can only be set up after a final peace deal had been struck.

The JVP had been opposing a proposal by the LTTE to set up an Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) in the island's embattled Northeast before a final peace deal is reached. Dissanayake asked the LTTE to show "flexibility" and enter peace talks aimed at ending three decades of ethnic bloodshed that has claimed over 60,000 lives since 1972.

"To show flexibility is not to kill political opponents and other rivals," Dissanayake said referring to a spate of killings blamed on the Tigers in recent weeks.

President Kumaratunga said yesterday (Aug 4, 2004) that she was ready to discuss a self-rule proposal by Tamil Tiger rebels.