The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on Friday accused President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who suspended parliament for two weeks and sacked three cabinet ministers, of wrecking the peace process.

"There is nothing for us to get shocked about (the political crisis) if you consider our experience (with Sinhalese politicians) in the past," www.tamilnet.com quoted a rebel leader, who is known as Karuna, as saying.

"This is how in the past they scuttled the peace processes despite the concessions and compromises we made during talks with the Sri Lankan government."

He said no one expected the president to "behave like this at this juncture".

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe returned from a trip to the US to a huge show of support from cadres of his United National Party. He pledged to keep peace negotiations on track and said it was crucial that parliament be reconvened to get the process going.