Colombo, Feb. 9 (Reuters): Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebels warned today that a snap election called by President Chandrika Kumaratunga represented a grave setback to peace, but vowed to honour a ceasefire that has been in effect for two years.

“Our liberation organisation will rigidly observe the ceasefire regulations and maintain peace,” the rebels’ chief negotiator, Anton Balasingham, was quoted as saying on the Tamilnet website. “The dissolution of the Sri Lankan parliament and the call for a snap election constitutes a grave setback to the peace process.” The Left-leaning President dissolved parliament yesterday and set a fresh vote for April 2.