Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akashi has told a TNA delegation that met him on Friday that funds would be channeled for the reconstruction of the war-torn north east only after the re-commencement of peace talks between the government and the LTTE, TamilNet reported.

This report focused on a demand by the TNA delegation led by its parliamentary group leader, R. Sampanthan, that an interim administrative structure with adequate powers is urgently needed to rebuild the war-ravaged north eastern province as the government had no political power to immediately implement a permanent solution to the ethnic conflict.

"Thousands of displaced people who return to their homes would get disappointed if we failed to provide immediate relief and other assistance to them and it would have a negative impact on the present peace process,’’ the TNA delegation pointed out to Akashi, according to sources close to TNA.

Replying a query by Akashi, the TNA delegation had said that it expected that the LTTE would certainly call for more powers in its response to the government’s interim administration proposals but had indicated that such demand "might not go beyond the Oslo Declaration,’’ TamilNet said.

The delegation which met Akashi at the Japanese Ambassador’s residence in Colombo comprised parliamentarians R. Sampathan, V. Anandasangaree, A. Vinayagamoorthy, Mavai Senathirajah and K. Thangavadivel.