Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger rebels have said that they are awaiting the Norwegian peace facilitators to inform them the government's request for Norway to continue to play peace role in the country, the official Sunday Observer said.

"We are aware that President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratungahas contacted Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, but we are yet to be officially informed by the Norwegians," Thamilselvan, the political wing leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels said.

He said it is too early to delve into other matters connected with the intended peace talks but the LTTE is eagerly awaiting theofficial call for the resumption of the talks with the government.

In response to a request made by President Kumaratunga late Thursday, Norwegian Prime Minister Bondevik has agreed to resume its facilitatory role on the Sri Lankan peace process.

However, he said that Norway must first get a same request fromthe LTTE rebels.

The Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat has said that the Norwegian government will shortly contact the LTTE formally on behalf of the government in regard to the resumption of the peace process.

Thamilselvan said that the future peace talks would be based onthe Interim Self-Governing Authority proposals they had submitted to the former government at the end of last October.

President Kumaratunga's Sri Lanka Freedom Party has rejected categorically the LTTE proposals, charging it is tantamount to thecreation of a de facto independent Tamil state in the country's north and east.

The LTTE rebels walked out of the peace talks with the former government in April last year following six rounds of direct talksstarting in September 2002.

The Norwegians suspended their role as peace facilitator in November last year when President Kumaratunga and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was locked in a power struggle.

Kumaratunga's United People's Freedom Alliance defeated Wickremesinghe's United National Party in April 2 parliamentary elections.

She had accused Wickremesinghe of giving too many concessions to the LTTE rebels which has jeopardized national security.

Source: Xinhua