Friday, August 19 2005 10:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels have agreed to hold direct talks with the Government on strengthening their truce which was threatened after the assassination of the country's Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen, who had a meeting with the Tamil Tiger chief negotiator in London yesterday (August 18, 2005), was quoted as saying by the BBC today (August 19, 2005) that Tigers have agreed to talk and discuss the ceasefire implementation with the Sri Lankan Government.

No dates or a venue had been decided for the fresh talks, but the guerrillas have agreed to a request by President Chandrika Kumaratunga to have direct talks on the truce.

The talks will be the first high-level meeting between the two sides since the peace process stalled in 2003.

The report came as the Sri Lankan Parliament extended the state of emergency after the assassination of the Foreign Minister and President Kumaratunga asked Norway to arrange an urgent meeting with Tiger rebels whom she has accused of assassinating Kadirgamar.

Public Security Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake asked Parliament to vote in favour of the motion to extend the emergency for a period of one month. Unless Parliament votes for the emergency, the tough laws would lapse within 10 days.

Members voted 124 in favour and 21 against to approve the emergency.

The Government had no doubt about its ability to have the emergency approved by the Parliament despite the being reduced to a minority following the pullout by the main Marxist coalition partner in June.

The main opposition United National Party (UNP) said they conditionally supported the emergency, which means that the state of emergency can be extended for a month without any difficulty on the floor of the House.

Legislators debated the emergency for six hours today (August 19, 2005) at an extra ordinary session called by the President.

Meanwhile, police using emergency powers continued to round up suspects, but there were no arrests made and no breakthrough in the investigation into Friday's (August 12, 2005) slaying of minister lakshman Kadirgamar, Police Deputy Inspector General Pujith Jayasundara said.