Cabinet to meet to finalize MoU

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 October 2006, 15:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse has summoned a special cabinet meeting Monday to decide on the final draft of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which is to be signed with the main opposition United National Party (UNP) to implement the agreed six identified issues under the common national agenda giving top priority to peace process, sources said.

Mr. Rajapakse Sunday night briefed the members of the central working committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP), main constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government about the MoU and its benefits to the government, sources said.

Meanwhile, two rounds of direct talks between Mr. Rajapakse and UNP leader Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe were held during the weekend to resolve the final differences between the two parties over the question of sharing power in the government, sources said.

According to the draft MoU, UNP is to support the government led by Mr.Rajapakse for two years to implement the identified six issues in the interest of Sri Lanka, sources said.

MoU does not mention about reassignment of ministerial portfolios, sources said.