SLMC Provincial councillors in the East renege orders from the top brass
By Kamani Hettiarachchi
The internal strife within the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) continues to escalate by the day, and one of the reasons that SLMC members are perturbed about is the party’s support extended to the government to adopt the Divineguma Bill in the Eastern Provincial Council, recently.
Among the reasons for the opposition to extending support to the government in this regard is that the proposed bill would seek to decrease the authority of the PC system, and therefore under no circumstances should the SLMC be a party to its adoption in the Eastern PC.
SLMC secretary Hasan Ali had informed all SLMC members of the Eastern PC not to throw their lot with the government with regard to this controversial bill till the party’s High Command takes a decision on it.
Hasan Ali had sought for a delay in casting their vote as the party’s High Command had not taken a decision in this connection.
However, the Eastern PC was convened last week by its chairperson Ariyawathi Gallappaththi. The new chief minister, Mohammed Abdul Najeeb, had tabled the bill. The debate on the bill had lasted through the whole day that the council was in session.
When the vote on the Divineguma Bill was taken up, the UPFA, NFF and the SLMC had voted in favour of the bill while the UNP and the TNA had opposed it. The bill was passed by a majority of six votes.
Directive violated
This had led to tension within the SLMC as the members had gone against party secretary Hasan Ali’s directive not to vote for the bill till the party’s High Command decides on the course of action the party should take. Since this directive was flouted, it has led to more divisions within the party, sources told LAKBIMAnEWS.
At the time the vote was taken up, party leader, Rauff Hakeem was overseas, and due to this reason the general secretary had not been able to convene a meeting of the High Command.
A group of radical SLMC members said that even when the secretary had clearly advised the SLMC Eastern PC members to desist from casting their votes, certain members had violated that order, which is now a concern to the party’s High Command.
At the recently concluded Eastern PC polls, the SLMC managed to win seven seats. The government sought the support of the SLMC before forming the new administration of the Eastern PC.
The government also held several discussions with SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem and at those discussions Hakeem had agreed to support the government without having sought the approval of the party’s High Command.
However, Hakeem stressed that he had decided to back the government consequent to certain conditions which both parties had come to an agreement with.
The SLMC leader continues to maintain that one such condition is for the government to give the Eastern PC chief minister’s post to the SLMC.
The government maintains a stoic silence on such issues. But radical members of the SLMC are of the view that Hakeem’s stance is the result of his own thinking and not one that has the approval of the High Command.
Headstrong decisions
Another charge directed at Hakeem is that he had agreed to two ministerial posts from the government, but this again had been his own decision and not one that the SLMC High Command had taken.
Most of those opposing Hakeem’s leadership continue to allege that the SLMC leader has taken some headstrong decisions which have not augured well for the party in the recent past.
They have also demanded that Hasan Ali convenes a meeting of the party’s High Command immediately in order to discuss the situation before issues get out of hand. Sources also said that up to last week, the general secretary, though requested to do so by the majority of members, had not convened the said meeting.
By Kamani HettiarachchiThe internal strife within the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) continues to escalate by the day, and one of the reasons that SLMC members are perturbed about is the party’s support extended to the government to adopt the Divineguma Bill in the Eastern Provincial Council, recently.
Among the reasons for the opposition to extending support to the government in this regard is that the proposed bill would seek to decrease the authority of the PC system, and therefore under no circumstances should the SLMC be a party to its adoption in the Eastern PC.
SLMC secretary Hasan Ali had informed all SLMC members of the Eastern PC not to throw their lot with the government with regard to this controversial bill till the party’s High Command takes a decision on it.
Hasan Ali had sought for a delay in casting their vote as the party’s High Command had not taken a decision in this connection.
However, the Eastern PC was convened last week by its chairperson Ariyawathi Gallappaththi. The new chief minister, Mohammed Abdul Najeeb, had tabled the bill. The debate on the bill had lasted through the whole day that the council was in session.
When the vote on the Divineguma Bill was taken up, the UPFA, NFF and the SLMC had voted in favour of the bill while the UNP and the TNA had opposed it. The bill was passed by a majority of six votes.
Directive violated
This had led to tension within the SLMC as the members had gone against party secretary Hasan Ali’s directive not to vote for the bill till the party’s High Command decides on the course of action the party should take. Since this directive was flouted, it has led to more divisions within the party, sources told LAKBIMAnEWS.
At the time the vote was taken up, party leader, Rauff Hakeem was overseas, and due to this reason the general secretary had not been able to convene a meeting of the High Command.
A group of radical SLMC members said that even when the secretary had clearly advised the SLMC Eastern PC members to desist from casting their votes, certain members had violated that order, which is now a concern to the party’s High Command.
At the recently concluded Eastern PC polls, the SLMC managed to win seven seats. The government sought the support of the SLMC before forming the new administration of the Eastern PC.
The government also held several discussions with SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem and at those discussions Hakeem had agreed to support the government without having sought the approval of the party’s High Command.
However, Hakeem stressed that he had decided to back the government consequent to certain conditions which both parties had come to an agreement with.
The SLMC leader continues to maintain that one such condition is for the government to give the Eastern PC chief minister’s post to the SLMC.
The government maintains a stoic silence on such issues. But radical members of the SLMC are of the view that Hakeem’s stance is the result of his own thinking and not one that has the approval of the High Command.
Headstrong decisions
Another charge directed at Hakeem is that he had agreed to two ministerial posts from the government, but this again had been his own decision and not one that the SLMC High Command had taken.
Most of those opposing Hakeem’s leadership continue to allege that the SLMC leader has taken some headstrong decisions which have not augured well for the party in the recent past.
They have also demanded that Hasan Ali convenes a meeting of the party’s High Command immediately in order to discuss the situation before issues get out of hand. Sources also said that up to last week, the general secretary, though requested to do so by the majority of members, had not convened the said meeting.
