UNP to decide Monday on joining UPFA cabinet

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 October 2006, 17:23 GMT]
The working committee of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) is scheduled to meet Monday to take a decision whether to join the Cabinet of Ministers in the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government and finalise the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main constituent of the ruling UPFA, political sources said.

The SLFP and UNP last week reached consensus on identified six issues including ethnic conflict, electoral reforms and good governance. But the seventh issue is to offer structural co-operation to the UPFA government, by joining the Cabinet of Ministers.

During the discussion held between the two parties last week President Mahinda Rajapakse had made an appeal to Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, UNP leader to join his Cabinet of Ministers to implement the six point programme.

But Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe had told President that it was a matter for the party's executive committee to decide.

However, a powerful section of the UNP has been of the view that the party should extend its support to implement the six point programme from outside. This section is against joining the Cabinet of Ministers. But another section supports joining the cabinet.