Hakeem will be re-appointed from national list after polls - Hisbullah

By Shanika Sriyananda

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Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) heavyweight M.L.A.M. Hisbullah who placed his signature in the nomination list of the UPFA government in a dramatic move, early last week, said the three SLMCers including its leader Rauf Hakeem who resigned from Parliament will be re-appointed under the National List soon after the Eastern Provincial Council polls.

He said that this was a sinister move by the Party leader to mislead the Muslim community in the East and to ‘grab’ sympathy votes.

Questioning the genuineness of this move by the SLMC leader, he said that Rauf Hakeem had betrayed the Muslim community which was hopefully waiting to see a Muslim Chief Minister for the Eastern Province as pledged by the late SLMC leader M.H.M Ashraff. Hisbullah said that the two vacancies on the National List would be kept vacant.

Hisbullah said that the Muslims in the East could not be easily misled by Hakeem as the people know him well now. “His statement and sacrifice of the Parliamentary seat is an utter joke”, he said.

He accused Hakeem of dividing the Muslims into segments instead of bringing them under one umbrella.

According to Hisbullah, Hakeem’s sole intention is to become a saviour of the UNP, which could secure only two seats from the East. “The Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had pleaded with Hakeem to protect the party by contesting under the UNP symbol”, he said.