COLOMBO, Nov. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- Sri Lanka Tamil Tiger rebels have invited the European Union polls monitors into areas under their control to observe the country's Nov. 17 presidential poll.

    The Head of the Political Wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) S.P. Thamilselvan in a letter to the Norwegian Ambassador in the capital Colombo Hans Brattskar had made the invitation, diplomatic sources said Friday.

    In a message to reporters in the rebel-held northern district on Thursday, Thamilselvan said that despite the EU restrictions on them, the EU polls monitors are welcome in the LTTE-held areas.

    The EU in late September announced that it was earnestly considering placing a ban on the LTTE and that their members would not be received as part of official delegations by EU member countries numbering 25.

    The EU response came as its condemnation of the Aug. 12 slaying of Sri Lanka's foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

    The EU polls monitors numbering 72 have already arrived in the country, the fourth such election observation mission undertaken by them in this Indian ocean island since the year 2000.

    Thamilselvan in his letter had assured Brattskar that his organization would take all security measures to ensure protection of the EU monitors.

    Thamilselvan has added that the LTTE would not bring any pressure on the civilians and that they were free to vote according to their wishes.

    However, he had pointed out that voters in LTTE areas would find severe transportation difficulties in order to vote by proceeding to the government-held areas.

    Political watchers say that Tamils in LTTE-held areas are likely to favor the main opposition challenger Ranil Wickremesinghe on the strength of his peace initiatives backed by the international community.

    In the 2004 parliamentary election, the EU monitors said the poll in the north and east provinces was full of malpractice.

    The majority Sinhala political parties in the south accused the LTTE of indulging in wrong doings to support its proxy, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), to gain more seats from the two troubled provinces. Enditem