Lanka's ruling party, opposition sign pact

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling party and the main opposition leaders on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on six main issues, including resolving the country's Tamil minority issue, a spokesman for the president's office said.

The pact was historic because it marks the first time the two parties, which have been ruling the country alternatively since independence in 1948, have entered into an agreement to cooperate.

The agreement between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the main party in President Rajapaksa's coalition government, and the main opposition United National Party led by former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, was signed at the president's office and comes into effect immediately for a period of two years.

The MOU comes into effect as the government and Tamil rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are set to resume peace talks later this month in Switzerland. Talks are due to be held on October 28 and 29.

The cooperation of the two main parties will be useful to pass required laws in parliament if required to implement any decisions taken at the negotiating table.

A two-thirds majority in the 225-seat parliament is required to amend the constitution.

With cooperation between the main parties and with the other minority parties the chances of obtaining the two-third majority of 150 seats are improved.

President Rajapaksa's party and the UNP collectively have over 140 members.

Under the MOU, the two main parties have only broadly spelt out the areas they would cooperate, but details about the cooperation are due to be worked out between the two sides.

DPA