The announcement by the constitutional affairs minister came amid a power struggle between the president and the prime minister. President Chandrika Kumaratunga -- who suspended parliament last week accusing the government of giving too much away to the rebels -- has said the truce her prime minister signed with the rebels is illegal.

Norwegian peace envoys who helped broker the peace package are expected to arrive in Colombo later Monday in an attempt to get the process back on the rails. Western analysts warn that a lot of foreign aid can be cut off if the talks are called off permanently.