COLOMBO, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government said Friday that an all political party representatives' panel is delaying its proceedings until a minority Tamil ex-militant group named its representatives to the panel.

    Tissa Vitharana, the Minister of Science and Technology who heads the All Party Representatives' Committee (APRC) said that the panel had delayed its deliberations until the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) named its representatives to the APRC.

    The TMVP, a breakaway faction of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is a government ally.

    They contested the May 10 election for the Eastern Provincial Council as an ally of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA).

    Its leader Sivanesathuai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan became the chief minister of the province with the UPFA's win in the election.

    The opposition groups have alleged that the TMVP carried out massive scale intimidation during the election making it an unfair election.

    They have demanded the disarming of the group, but the government says the TMVP needs arms to protect themselves from attacks by the LTTE.

    The APRC was called by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse in early 2006 to achieve southern consensus on the Tamil minority problem in the north and east of the country.

    The APRC is yet to come up with its final draft of a constitution reform package which is to be presented as an alternative to the separate state concept promoted by the LTTE.