Colombo: Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga today (August 4, 2004) resigned from the leadership of her Marxist-backed coalition amid a deepening internal rift on reviving peace talks with Tamil Tiger rebels.

Kumaratunga's office said in a statement that she quit the leadership of the Freedom Alliance, a coalition of Left-leaning groups including her own Freedom Party and the Marxist JVP (Janata Vimukti Perumana), "due to pressure of work".

It said a replacement would be named from her party to lead the Freedom Alliance.

Political sources noted that the move followed differences between Kumaratunga and the JVP over the handling of the Norwegian-backed peace process with Tamil Tiger guerrillas.

The JVP had threatened to pull out if Kumaratunga revived peace talks with Tiger rebels based on a guerrilla proposal of self-rule.

Kumaratunga initiated the Freedom Alliance to topple the Right-wing United National Party Government, which she sacked in February after accusing it of conceding too many concessions to the Tigers.

The Freedom Alliance narrowly won the snap election she called on April 2, but failed to secure a simple majority in the 225-member Parliament and is at the mercy of smaller parties for its survival.