COLOMBO, Oct 23: The ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the opposition United National Party (UNP) on Monday agreed to work together for ending the conflict with Tamil Tigers.

The two parties signed a memorandum of understanding committing themselves to support each other in finding a negotiated solution of the ethnic conflict, which has claimed 60,000 lives since 1972.

Analysts see the development as an attempt by President Rajapakse to strengthen the government’s hand in the lead-up to weekend talks with the LTTE in Geneva. As the Freedom Party is heading a minority government, it needs the opposition’s support in parliament if any constitutional arrangement was agreed with LTTE.

Mr Rajapakse’s position was weakened recently when the anti-LTTE Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) quit the ruling coalition over differences on the Tamil question.

Agencies add: President Rajapakse said Monday’s agreement was a major boost to the island’s efforts to end the Tamil conflict and could provide a solid backdrop for the Oct 28 negotiations.

“What we have today is a significant political development that has placed the country closer to peace than at any other time.”

Tamil Tiger rebels had previously argued that the government could not get a two-thirds parliamentary majority to deliver on constitutional reforms that would devolve power and put an end to the bloodshed.

But Monday’s deal changed the political equation, Rajapakse said.

“We have now demonstrated that there is a consensus in the (Sinhalese-majority) south, unlike in the past when the two main parties were bitterly divided,” he said.

Sri Lanka’s parliamentary Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara said the two main parties had taken a difficult step towards cooperation after 55 years of being at odds with each other.

“Given the record of their parties ... this is a landmark agreement that deserves the support of all,” he said.

There was no immediate reaction from the Tamil Tigers.

The opposition United National Party’s (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said his party had shed its differences with the president to support a political settlement to the conflict.

“We will have differences on other issues, but when it comes to the national question, we will work together,” Wickremesinghe said.

The three-page agreement has provisions for the two parties to share power, but details are to be worked out later with the initial focus being on working to end the bloodshed.

“The UNP reiterates its commitment to extend support to the government in the pursuit of a negotiated settlement to the on-going conflict while opposing terrorism in all its manifestations and upholding human rights,” the agreement said.

SELLING THE DEAL: Political analyst Sunanda Deshapriya, director of the private think-tank Centre for Policy Alternatives, said the deal is a major step forward but the two parties will still have to sell it to their rank and file.