COLOMBO: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday evening agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation on six points pertaining to crucial issues facing the country.

The decision came at a meeting between the two leaders to sort out some glitches, including the issue of "crossovers" into the ruling combine before the political understanding between the two parties is to be initialled. The draft MoU, variously described as "historic and unprecedented," would be signed on Monday at the temporary Presidential palace.

"The problems are not ideological but personality oriented. A section in the ruling combine is bent on breaking the ranks of the United National Party and it is not acceptable to us," a senior leader of the UNP earlier told The Hindu .

The proposed MoU, first of its kind in political cooperation between the two principal parties in the country, has generated a great deal of hope and enthusiasm in the island nation. There is consensus among political and diplomatic observers that if faithfully implemented the MoU would go a long way in forging the much-awaited "southern consensus" on all issues confronting Sri Lanka, including the ethnic problem, which has evaded a solution for decades.

Besides the ethnic question, the MoU covers issues related to the economy, good governance and education. It has the potential to widen the gap between the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party and its electoral partner, the ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.

The UNP is faced difficulties from a section of its own MPs who are keen on the party joining the Government. The ruling combine is taking advantage of the divisions within the UNP on the subject. Even before the MoU was mooted, Mr. Rajapaksa has inducted into his Government over half-a-dozen UNP parliamentarians.

On Saturday, Mr. Rajapaksa held two meetings to "educate" People's Alliance coalition party leaders and the Jathika Hela Urumaya leaders on the proposed MoU.

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