Rajapakse, Wickremasinghe to meet Thursday to finalize MoU

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 October 2006, 01:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe are scheduled to meet Thursday to finalize the draft of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will outline the understandings reached between the two parties in resolving national issues. Members of the delegations of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) who participated in the four rounds of talks will also attend the discussions, political sources in Colombo said.

The MoU is expected to be signed before Sunday in the presence of Mahanayaka Theras of four chapters, and religious leaders of other faiths, sources added.

The first round of talks between UNP and SLFP began on September 15 following a meeting between Mahinda Rajapakse and Ranil Wickremasinghe held on September 11.Talks centred on forging consensus on national issued identified by committees appointed by the both parties.

SLFP and UNP reached a consensus on a six point programme to resolve national issues during the fourth and final round of talks held on October 5, and agreed to sign the MoU before October 15.

The six-point programme included North East conflict, electoral reforms, good governance, economic development, nation building (education reform) and social development, sources said.