The Sri Lankan government was responsible for taking forward peace talks with Tamil Tigers, the country's opposition said Tuesday.

"It is a matter entirely for the government to handle," Xinhua quoted G.L. Peiris, the spokesperson for the United National Party (UNP), as saying.

Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said Saturday that the guerrillas might resume war if the government did not revive peace talks soon.

Peiris, who was the chief peace negotiator when UNP was in power until April, said his party won't agree to the division of the country and wanted a political solution based on federalism.

Peace talks between the government and the guerrillas were stalled in April 2003.

--Indo-Asian News Service