Rajapakse's United Peoples' Freedom Alliance won majorities in 222 out of 264 local councils where results were declared, the Government Information Department said Saturday. The main opposition United National Party which previously controlled most councils won 32 seats, and minor parties won the other 10 seats.

Remaining results for two councils were expected later Saturday, the department said. Elections in the north and east where the Tigers operate have been postponed until Sept. 30 due to security concerns.

The Tamil Tigers began fighting in 1983 to create a separate state for ethnic minority Tamils, accusing the majority Sinhalese of discrimination. More than 65,000 people were killed before a 2002 cease-fire, now under threat due to rising violence.

Rajapakse says he wants to go ahead with the talks and come to a settlement. Others oppose concessions to the rebels.

``No doubt, this augers well for the future and the peace process,'' the state-run Daily News said in an editorial Saturday.

``For, if we are to make some headway in resolving the conflict, the country's communities need to accept each other as people of one country, always able and willing to give peaceful coexistence a try.''

The editorial said the election victory should be seen as giving the government ``a fresh mandate by the people to work toward a just and honorable peace.''

``Sri Lankans have clearly endorsed his policies, specially his handling of the peace process,'' said Jehan Perera of the National Peace Council, an independent think tank.

Controlling the councils which deal with the day-to-day affairs of towns and clusters of villages will provide Rajapakse with a power base for future parliamentary and presidential elections.

Rajapakse heads a minority government in the federal Parliament. The present Parliament began in April 2004 for a term of up to six years, but the president can order new elections to try to secure a majority.

Recent violence has threatened the government-rebel truce brokered by Norway in February 2002. More than 166 people, including 87 government security personnel, have been killed since December in violence blamed mostly on the rebels.

The rebels and the government are scheduled to meet in Switzerland April 19-20 for next round of peace talks. Discuss this story Published: Sat Apr 1 13:29:09 EST 2006

Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe, the defense ministry spokesman, said Saturday that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels had fired at the Navy as many as five times during the last 10 days.

"These are totally unprovoked attacks and clear violations of the cease-fire agreement," Samarasinghe said.

He said all attacks directed at the Navy were in the eastern district of Trincomalee and at least two attacks on Naval craft had taken place even when the members of the international truce monitors, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), were on board.

The government and the LTTE are to meet in Geneva in three weeks to discuss the Norwegian backed cease-fire which had largely held since February 2002 despite sporadic acts of violence.

Most violations of the truce have been blamed on the Tigers and the rebels in turn accuse the government for its failure to fully implement the provisions of the agreement.

The first round of talks late February in Geneva ended in an agreement from both sides to stick to the truce and this month's talks are aimed at reviewing the progress of the agreement.

Analysts say both sides are expected to level more accusations at each other at the next round and are creating the ground for such an eventuality.

The SLMM will submit its report on the truce violations since the first round in Geneva aimed at getting the two sides to agree to honor and uphold spirit of the agreement, the SLMM sources said. More... Discuss this story Published: Sat Apr 1 13:31:32 EST 2006