Chennai: Sri Lankan Cabinet has decided to seek an official clarification from President Chandrika Kumaratunga on reports that she had secretly extended her term of office by one year, Sri Lankan Minister for Hindu Religious affairs, T Maheswaran said in Chennai today (Dec 27, 2003).

A decision in this regard was taken at the Cabinet meeting on last Wednesday (Dec 24, 2003), he told a press conference.

The issue would also be raised in the Sri Lankan Parliament, when it reassembled after Christmas vacation on January 6, he said.

The Indian Government should participate either directly or indirectly in the peace process in the Island Republic to end the ethnic strife there.

He said the President, bringing under her control important Ministries like Defence and Communication, had caused a setback for the Norwegian brokered peace talks between the Sri Lankan Government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Prime Minister Ranil Wikremesinghe had officially communicated to his Norwegian counterpart, expressing his 'inability' to continue the talks with important ministries going out of his hand, the Minister said.

He expressed the hope that the impasse in his country would end soon and the talks would recommence.

The only Tamil MP of the ruling United National Party (UNP) in Sri Lanka, Maheswaran said LTTE had now become the 'authorised representative' of the Sri Lankan Tamils to talk to the Sri Lankan Government on solving the ethnic issue since it had better bargaining power.