Sri Lanka ruling party discusses major political deal

Sri Lanka's ruling party has held urgent parleys to discuss a proposed political deal with the main opposition United National Party (UNP) ahead of the agreement to be signed, a senior minister said Monday.

D. M. Jayaratne, the minister of Posts and Telecommunications, said the SLFP's central committee which had met on Sunday had approved the deal which he described as a ground breaking agreement in the island's political history.

The two main political parties who are bitter political foes are to work together under a 6-point common program -- among the priorities are the country's separatist armed conflict involving the Tamil Tiger rebels.

The final round of talks between the SLFP leader President Mahinda Rajapakse and the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday ended successfully and the memorandum of understanding is to be signed midday Monday, Jayaratne said.

"There will be an urgent meeting of the cabinet before the signing," Jayaratne said.

The talks between the two parties to work out a common program was commenced on Sept. 15 as both parties have felt the need of working together in view of the present status of the peace process with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels.

However, there is some confusion within the ranks of the UNP on the deal, some political observers have noted.

They said that the UNP leader was averse to a proposal mooted by a section of his party that the UNP must accept ministerial positions in the Rajapakse cabinet.

Wickremesinghe maintains that the UNP must retain identity by supporting the government limited to key issues of governance.

Source: Xinhua