The main partner in Sri Lanka's ruling coalition vowed in Colombo Tuesday to take to streets in order to prevent the government from entering into a deal with the Tamil Tigers to coordinate tsunami relief effort.

The JVP or the People's Liberation Front held a public rally here on Tuesday to highlight their opposition to President Chandrika Kumaratunga's move to enter the joint mechanism (JM) with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels.

Tilwin Silva, general secretary of the JVP said the party would hold street demonstration against the move.

The JVP holds 39 seats in Kumaratunga's coalition and any action to leave the government by the leftists would topple the administration.

However, party leader Somawansa Amerasinghe in his address said the party would not bring down the government and instead protect it until the program of work approved by the people at the last parliamentary election is completed.

A joint mechanism was mooted by the country's international donors to coordinate the relief effort to the victims of the Dec.26 tsunamis last year.

The JVP and a few more political parties oppose the deal as one which would confer recognition to the LTTE.

The Sri Lankan president, however, contends that the JM is a pure administrative mechanism limited to an initial period of one year.
 
(Xinhua News Agency May 12, 2005)