Hakeem woos renegade SLMC MPs

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 June 2005, 14:45 GMT]
Rauff Hakeem, leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), urged renegade Muslim parliamentarians, Risard Badiudin, Najeeb Abdul Majeed and Hussain Baila, who were expelled from SLMC on 30 May 2004 to join hands with SLMC in a press conference at party head office in Colpetty, Colombo Saturday. Mr. Hakeem added that he is talking with the Sri Lanka Government about the Muslim representation in Joint Mechanism between the LTTE and the Government. Mr Hakeem said that he wanted the Joint Mechanism to be a three party agreement between the Government, LTTE and the SLMC.




SLMC High Command expelled four leading members including the three dissident parliamentarians from the ordinary membership of the party in 2004 for working against party policies and its leadership. The fourth member expelled was Mr.M.Inamullah who was a member of the party high command

Mr. Hakeem said that a resolution to issue a public invitation to renegade Members of Parliament was passed in the meeting of the party leadership on Friday.

Muslim parliamentarians Faizal Cassim, N. Nijamudeen, Basheer Segu Dawood and K. A Faees were present in the press conference with Mr. Hakeem.

SLMC has 5 MPs, including a national list MP, in the 225 seat Sri Lankan Parliament.

Meanwhile, Presidential Secretariat, in a media release issued on Friday, said that President Kumaratunga has established Ministry for Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs. The existing Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs under the President will now be administered by the new Ministry, it further said.