09 January 2004	Friday	16 Ziqa'ad 1424

COLOMBO, Jan 8: An opposition leader in Sri Lanka teamed up with the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party (JVP) on Thursday to criticize Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's statement that he would call off the ceasefire with the LTTE unless President Kumaratunga hands him back the three ministries she took over in November.

Wimal Weerawanse, a spokesman for the JVP, said his party would urge the prime minister to resign, and not merely call off the ceasefire. Mr Weerawanse alleged Mr Wickremesinghe had been strengthening the LTTE's military might for the past two years, saying that the most "decent" political gesture he could make was to resign from his post.