Thursday, June 16 2005 17:03 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: Sri Lanka's main Marxist party yesterday (Jun 15, 2005) quit President Chandrika Kumaratunga's Government in protest against her plan to enter into a tsunami aid sharing deal with Tamil Tiger rebels.

The Marxist Janata Vimukti Peramuna (JVP) or people's Liberation Front said its decision to quit the Government came into effect midnight yesterday night, as there was no response from Kumaratunga to their demand to cancel aid deal with LTTE.

"We have quit the Government," JVP spokesman A Bandara said adding that its four Ministers and four junior Ministers will resign today, the proper formalities and after talks with their staff.

With the withdrawal of the JVP, the Kumaratunga Government has turned into a minority administration. However, Kumaratunga has secured the support of other parties in the 225-member parliament for her Government to push the crucial legislation on aid sharing deal with the rebel Tigers.

Kumaratunga's Freedom Alliance had five-seat majority before the withdrawal of the JVP's 39 legislators.

The widely expected move came after Kumaratunga sent a lengthy letter to the JVP accusing them of misinterpreting her plan to share tsunami aid with Tamil Tiger rebels. "You shall be responsible for the consequences of your actions," she said in a stern letter to the JVP without asking them to stay back.

Her letter came as police seized JVP-backed Buddhist monk Dambara Amila who was on the fourth-day of a fast outside the main railway station and drove off in an ambulance under armed escort.

The monk was demanding the withdrawal of Kumaratunga's plan to share tsunami aid with the rebels.

Earlier in the day, police obtained an order from a local magistrate to break up the protest, arguing that it could lead to a breach of the peace in the capital Colombo.

JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe announced in Kandy that they were going ahead with their plan to quit the 14-month old Government today (Jun 16, 2005).

However, there would be no need for fresh elections, since Kumaratunga's party has secured the support of a majority of legislators, including those in the Opposition, to push crucial legislation.