Hakeem offers to back President for a third term March 11, 2014, 7:22 am By Lal Gunesekera,the Island Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem told party candidates, contesting the WPC election on Sunday that his party was not prepared to leave the government as demanded by certain political parties. Addressing a meeting in Wattala, Hakeem said that various remarks made by vested interests should not be taken seriously and that the SLMC would not leave the government. They should realise that the SLMC had helped obtain a two-thirds majority for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to seek a third term, Hakeem said. Minister Hakeem said that it was normal that arguments took place at Cabinet meetings between the President and ministers. It not a reason for a party to leave the government and also that if they were to leave the government, the SLMC would also have to leave the Eastern Provincial Council. Pointing out that the Northern PC was governed by the TNA, Hakeem asked if the EPC, too, lost its majority with the SLMC pulling out, whether the EP Governor was prepared to dissolve the council. He said he felt sorry that those who wanted to smoke the SLMC out had failed to grasp the political reality. The SLMC had the strength to continue in politics even if it left the government and the party had proved that they could manage without portfolios, he said. He said the people should remember that it was the SLMC that helped late President R. Premadasa to come into power and also former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge to form a stable government in 1994. If President Rajapaksa decided to contest the Presidency again, the SLMC would back him to the hilt, Hakeem said. He reminded the SLMC candidates that CBK had removed him from the Cabinet once and within five months her government had fallen.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 16:46:34 +0000
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