Sri Lanka has imposed emergency regualtions after the killing

Condemning the assassination, the main opposition United National Party (UNP) says, the government is also to blame.

Tissa Attanayake, deputy general secretary of the UNP, told BBC Sandeshaya (BBC Sinhala) that government's inaction to revive peace talks with the LTTE is deteriorating the security situation.

"The UNP-led government provided maximum security to Mr. Kadirgamar when he was just an opposition MP. The current government has failed to protect one of their senior ministers."

'No effective ceasefire'

Buddhist-monk led Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) is of the view that President Chandrika Kumaratunga should resign as she has failed to fulfil her duties as the executive head of the government.

British government should arrest Anton Balasingham JHU

JHU's parliamentary group leader Aturaliye Rathan thero told BBC's Elmo Fernando that Sri Lanka should take steps to proscribe the Tamil Tigers as there was no effective ceasefire in force.

He blamed the international community and the Norwegian-led monitors for turning a blind eye on LTTE's terrorist activities.

"British government should arrest Anton Balasingham,"said the thero.

President Kumaratunga's former coalition ally, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) says the party and the country lost a true friend and a patriot.

'True patriot'

In a statement issued from the party's headquarters, the JVP says it is only a "very temporary victory for a blood thirsty racist fascist hiding in the Vanni".

"The LTTE bullet aimed at Hon Lakshman Kadirgamar was a bullet aimed at all those who reject racism and believe in democracy and human rights," the statement added.

If they knew he was the main target of a calculative terrorist organisation, they should have been more cautious NLF

The co-chairman of the Patriotic National Movement (PNM), Elle Gunawansa thero, said the late minister was a champion who campaigned for everybody in Sri Lanka, not only for a particular race or a religion.

The left-wing New Left Front (NLF) says the killing will not help Tamil's struggle for self-determination at all.

NLF leader Wickramabahu Karunaratne said the lack of strategic thinking was mainly to blame as the minister was considered as the number one target of the Tamil Tigers.

"If they knew he was the main target of a calculative terrorist organisation, they should have been more cautious”