Tuesday, February 7 2006 16:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: Tamil Tiger rebels today ruled out discussing a political solution to the island's ethnic conflict during the upcoming talks with Sri Lankan Government in Geneva and said that they would only talk about ways to strengthen the troubled ceasefire.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said the two-day talks starting on February 22 in Geneva, Switzerland, would be exclusively to discuss ways of strengthening the truce that went into effect from February 23, 2002, but remains to be fully implemented by both sides.

"The LTTE is not prepared to discuss modifications to the ceasefire or to push the ceasefire aside and waste time talking about a political solution," the Tigers said in an editorial in their official organ 'Vuduthalaippulikal.'

The LTTE announcement immediately put a damper on the Government of President Mahinda Rajapakse who came to power in November vowing to scrap the ceasefire negotiated by his political rival Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The Tigers also warned the Government not to use the talks to fool the people. "Sinhala leaders have always used the peace talks to fool the international community and drag time to prepare for war," the LTTE said.