Colombo: Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga's latest bid to revive the stalled peace talks with Tamil Tigers has suffered a major setback with key parties, including main Opposition UNP (United National Party), calling for a boycott of the initiative.

Kumaratunga is due to launch her 'National Advisory Council for Peace and Reconciliation' tomorrow (Oct 04, 2004), but all the key parties in Parliament whose support is essential for any constitutional reforms are staying away.

"The Council shall be the forum for consultation and advice on issues pertaining to the peace process and for advancing reconciliation and understanding among persons of communities through dialogue," Kumaratunga's office said.

However, the main Opposition United National Party dismissed Kumaratunga's initiative and instead asked her to start direct talks with the Tigers.

The Tiger proxy, Tamil National Alliance, is also boycotting the talks together with Kumaratunga's new ally, the Ceylon Workers' Congress, a party of Tamils of recent Indian origin.

Political sources said the Council could be of little use without the key players. Even the hard-line National Heritage Party (NHP) is boycotting the meeting, but for different reasons. The NHP says there is no point in having talks with Tigers.

Kumaratunga's Marxist-backed party came to power in April after dismissing the previous administration of Ranil Wickremesinghe accusing him of making too many concessions to Tigers.

Peace negotiations between Colombo and the Tigers remain suspended since April 2003 when the guerrillas abruptly pulled out. Diplomatic efforts since then to revive the process remained inconclusive.

Diplomatic pressure on the parties mounted at the weekend with the US Government asking both Colombo and the Tigers to get back to the negotiating table to resolve the conflict that has claimed over 60,000 lives since 1972.