The initial euphoria with respect to the possibility of a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the north and east when the government and the LTTE signed a cease-fire agreement seems to have faded, according to the Peace Confidence Index published by the Centre for Policy Alternatives.

According to the last edition of the Peace Confidence Index, 43.6% of the Sinhalese interviewed in May do not believe that the cease-fire will hold out. The corresponding figure for March was 36.6%. The corresponding figure for Tamils is 13.2%, up from 7.7% in March. While more than two thirds of the Tamils had believed that peace would come about in March (67.8%), the figure had dropped to 50.8% by May.

There has also been an overall decline in the approval rating for Norwegian assistance among the Sinhalese with 63.5% disapproving. A similar trend is evident among Tamils as well. While 85.3% Tamils believed that an international third party was essential to the resolution of the conflict in March this year, the numbers had dropped to 54.7% by May.

Of Sinhalese interviewed 61.6% opposed the deproscription of the LTTE prior to the commencement of talks. Only 11.4% of Sinhalese supported an interim administration in the north and east, the number having dropped from 33.3% in March. The LTTE has insisted that talks should concentrate on the setting up of an "interim administration" while the notion had been widely touted by the UNF in its election campaign.

The survey covers 17 districts excluding the north and east, but include government controlled areas in Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Vavuniya and Mannar. (MS)