Sunday, May 29 2005 15:03 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga is set to undertake a twice-postponed visit to India next week ahead of entering into a controversial tsunami aid-sharing deal with Tamil Tiger rebels.

Kumaratunga is now due to travel to New Delhi for talks with Indian leaders on Thursday (June 2, 2005) 'The Sunday Times' newspaper in Colombo said. The same visit had been put off twice although it was never officially announced.

Also, the President today (May 29, 2005) renewed a pledge to share foreign aid for Sri Lanka, where deadly tsunamis struck late last year (2004), with Tamil rebels, a day after former US President

Bill Clinton mounted pressure on all Sri Lankan politicians to support Kumaratunga's controversial move.

Kumaratunga was "very committed" to establishing the proposed "joint administrative machinery," her office said in a statement after her talks in Colombo with Clinton yesterday (May 28, 2005).

"The President said this was not a part of the peace process, but that she believed it would help move the stalled peace process forward."

Kumaratunga is facing opposition to any deal with the Tamil Tigers from her own coalition partner, the Marxist JVP, or People's Liberation Front, which has threatened to quit.

"The President referred to the resistance to it (the deal) from some members of the ruling alliance, apprehensions of the (minority) Muslim community and the silence maintained by the main opposition party," Kumaratunga's office said.

Clinton, visiting Sri Lanka as UN's special envoy for tsunami relief work, wrapped up his overnight tour by urging the island's political parties to support Kumaratunga's moves.