Courts allows Hakeem to function as SLMC leader

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 December 2002, 20:04 GMT]
The Colombo District Court Thursday vacated the enjoining order restraining Minister Mr.Rauff Hakeem from functioning as the president of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress.

The additional district judge Mr.S.L.Abeyagunaratne issued the said enjoining order Tuesday on a petition filed by the SLMC dissidents Mr. A.L.M.Athaullah and ten others seeking the court to prevent Mr. Hakeem from functioning as the leader of the party. The petitioners told court that the SLMC politburo had expelled Mr. Hakeem from the post of president.

When the counter petition filed by Mr.Rauff Hakeem was taken up for inquiry Thursday, Presiden's Counsel Mr.S.Parathalingam submitted to court the said Enjoining order issued against Mr.Rauff Hakeem was bad in law as the court had failed to take into consideration the fact Mr.Athaullah and Dr.Hafrath had already been expelled from the post of chairman and general secretary, respectively, of the party by Mr.Rauff Hakeem, who was exercising his powers given to him by the constitution of the SLMC.

The judge after hearing the submission by the counsel, who appeared for the SLMC dissidents, vacated his earlier enjoining order restraining Mr. Hakeem from functioning as the leader of the SLMC.

The judge said the SLMC dissidents had obtained the earlier enjoining order suppressing the fact that the party chairman Mr.Athaullah and the general secretary Dr Hafrath had already been suspended by the president of the SLMC Mr.Rauff Hakeem. " Hence I vacate the enjoining order restraining Mr. Hakeem from functioning as the president of the party," said the judge in his order.

Immediately after obtaining the court order Mr. Hakeem met his close associates and held vital discussions about the future course of action to be taken to consolidate his position in the party against his dissidents, party sources said.

Mr. Hakeem was given a rousing welcome by hundreds of his supporters when he came out of the District Court. Government parliamentarians gave him a standing ovation Thursday evening when he arrived to participate in the committee stage budget debate.