Colombo, Feb. 2 (Reuters): Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s party, which sits in Opposition in parliament, and allied groups called today for early polls to end a stalemate in government and begin renewed talks with Tamil Tiger rebels.

Kumaratunga sparked a constitutional crisis in November when she took over three ministries from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who she says was too soft in negotiations with the LTTE. The row has stopped efforts to restart peace talks to permanently end the war that has killed 64,000 people.

“The only way out of this stalemate is to go for an election,” Mangala Samaraweera, treasurer of Kumaratunga’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party, said. Business leaders are against early elections, fearing they would stall an expanding economy. “We envisage a violent election that could even affect day-to-day life, tourist arrivals,” HNB Stockbrokers Ltd said in a research note

“In all probability, there will be an early election,” Alavi Moulana, governor of Sri Lanka’s Western Province and a member of Kumaratunga’s party, said. Kumaratunga's party formed an alliance with the hardline People's Liberation Front last week, and four minor parties joined that pact in a colourful ceremony today.