Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga said Sunday that her main partner in the ruling coalition must help her to carry forward the government agenda by not blocking it.

In addressing a public gathering in the North Central Province on Sunday, Kumaratunga admitted that her Freedom Party and the leftist JVP or the People's Liberation Front had ideological differences.

She said such differences should not hinder the ruling coalition's program of work approved by the people at the last parliamentary election.

The JVP has blocked Kumaratunga's economic reform measures and is vehemently opposed to a joint mechanism with the Tamil Tigers for tsunami rebuilding.

The JVP is also opposed to the Norwegian-backed peace deal withthe Tigers.

Despite the differences, the JVP, which holds 39 seats in the government, has said they would not topple the government.

Without naming the JVP, Kumaratunga said one party says they would not topple the government if so they must support the actionplan to bring peace to the country by working together.

The JVP walked out of a cabinet meeting last week protesting against a government move to restructure the state electrical board.

In a strongly worded letter, the JVP warned the president that they would continue the cabinet boycott until the government shelved the restructuring plans of the Ceylon Electricity Board.

The party has also planned to hold a public rally Tuesday against the president's plan to enter a joint tsunami relief mechanism with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels.

Source: Xinhua