COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - The government opened talks with opposition leaders Saturday to try to end the crippling political uncertainty in this island nation and possibly discuss a coalition government, officials said.
``Extensive discussions were held on current national issues,'' said a joint statement by President Chandrika Kumaratunga's People's Alliance government and the opposition United National Party. But no details were revealed.
``Delegations who participated in the talks have decided not to divulge details to the media,'' K. Choksy, a UNP official, told The Associated Press.
But opposition sources said that that a power-sharing arrangement - which some opposition groups call a ``government of reconciliation'' - would be discussed when talks resume Monday.
Kumaratunga suspended Parliament on July 11 for two months after it seemed clear that her People's Alliance coalition would not survive a confidence vote. Her coalition lost its majority in June when a Cabinet minister she had fired defected from the party with six other legislators.
Also Saturday, Kumaratunga held discussions with the opposition Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, or People's Liberation Front, which has proposed an interim government until the political impasse is broken. She is also holding discussions with several political parties, business leaders and youth organizations to seek their support.
On Saturday, six government ministers met with four leaders of the UNP behind closed doors for more than three hours.
The opposition has demanded that the government reconvene Parliament, cancel a constitutional referendum scheduled for October and create independent panels to oversee elections, the police force, the state-controlled broadcast media, the civil service and the judiciary.
The discussions come after several unsuccessful attempts by the government to muster a majority before Parliament reconvenes on Sept. 7.
Kumaratunga has been battling for months for her political survival and to win support to amend the constitution as a step toward ending the insurgency in the north, where the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are fighting for a separate homeland for the minority Tamils. Since 1983, when violence erupted, more than 64,000 people have been killed.
Last month, Tamil Tiger rebels attacked the island's only international airport, destroying or damaging 12 military and civilian aircraft. The attack eroded business confidence, scared some airlines and shipping carriers away and tourist arrivals - a primary foreign currency earner - plunged.
Meanwhile, Tamil parties said they were disappointed that the government had invited only the UNP for talks.
``Inviting just the UNP surely displays the government's weakness,'' said V. Anandasangarie of the moderate Tamil United Liberation Front. ``Talks should have been open to the joint opposition to resolve the political crisis.''