The Sri Lankan government's peace process will continue as planned, despite the sudden collapse of the Norwegian government sources said here today.

While the fall of the Norwegian government on Thursday immediately casted doubts on the continuity of Norway's role in the Sri Lankan peace process, officials stressed that there would only be a slight delay as the new administration in Oslo takes charge.

Sources said that delays had already been anticipated in view of the health concerns of both the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and the LTTE's chief political strategist Anton Balasingham. Sources said any delay resulting from a change of Norwegian government would coincide with this, rather than extend it.

Both men are expected to play key roles in eventual negotiation between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE.

Sources said that there could be an understandable period of uncertainty, which is inevitable during a change of government.

"The PA government has come very far to this juncture amidst various hardshhips. We cannot afford to turn back and we will not go back when the dawn of peace is so near" political sources confirmed.

The opposition party yesterday met the government for talks on constitutional reforms in response to an invitation extended by President Kumaratunga to reach a Southern consensus towards resolving the ethnic conflict.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek visited Sri Lanka last month to assist the government in its first step to bring the LTTE to the negotiating table. Before leaving Sri Lanka, Vollebaek said Norway had accepted the "challenging task" of bringing the LTTE to the negotiating table.

But on Thursday, Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik announced his government's collapse after losing a confidence vote in Parliament.

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