“This culture would help us to defeat terrorism and ensure a conducive atmosphere in the country where everybody could live in peace and harmony.” - President Rajapaksa

Oct 23, Colombo: The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main constituent of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) today entered into a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on six common issues to find a solution to Sri Lanka's national crisis.

SLFP General Secretary Minister Maithripala Sirisena and UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickrama signed the MoU this afternoon at the Temple Trees. President Mahinda Rajapaksa and UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe met last night to finalise the historic SLFP-UNP agreement. President Rajapaksa summoned a special Cabinet meeting at 11.00 AM this morning before the document was signed at the Temple Trees.

The SLFP Central Committee, which met yesterday, unanimously approved the signing of the MoU with the UNP. The President as SLFP Leader briefed Central Committee members of the mechanism for the MoU and the outcome of the discussions held between the two parties.

President Rajapaksa, speaking at the signing, said, “This culture would help us to defeat terrorism and ensure a conducive atmosphere in the country where everybody could live in peace and harmony.” The President emphasized that a nation could move forward only by shedding “petty political differences” and work in unity.

UNP Leader Wickremesinghe said, “The SLFP-UNP pact was an agreement for peace, stability and good governance.” Pointing out that after an election, the victorious party and its supporters would rejoice while the defeated party and its supporters would be dejected, he said that “today’s agreement is an occasion for everybody to rejoice.”