Over 80% Muslims pledge support to President - Azwer

by Mohammed NAALIR

More than 80 per cent of the Muslims in the country have pledged their support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa to ensure his victory in the forthcoming presidential election, Presidential Advisor and former Muslim Cultural Affairs Minister A. H. M. Azwer said.

Addressing the media in Colombo, Azwer said that only under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa the dignity and ethnical identity could be protected.

He stated that whatever attempt was made by the Opposition nobody can prevent the President’s victory. He will record a landslide victory getting four million additional votes. Already there are 2.5 million Provincial council votes for the President.Azwer further stated that Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will definitely cast his vote to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Then only can he protect his position as the Opposition Leader in the Parliament.

Muslims in Sri Lanka must be grateful to President Mahinda Rajapaksa as he is the only leader who raised and is raising his voice on behalf of innocent Palestinians.

During the regime of Ranil Wickremesinghe when the Palestinians were attacked by Israeli forces indiscriminately without any mercy then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe kept quiet.

On another occasion when Iraq and Saddam Hussain was attacked by American forces Ranil Wickremesinghe tried to justify it. There are several Muslim religious places in Iraq. When Iraq was bombed by the American Forces he was the only leader who supported America.Azwer expressed confidence that several prominent UNP Parliamentarians and Provincial Council members and Municipal Council members will join the SLFP shortly.

Without any permanent base SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem asks the Muslims to support UNP common candidate Sarath Fonseka who carried out adverse propaganda against the Muslims in Sri Lanka. Azwer noted that founder of the SLMC and former Minister late M. H. M. Ashraff said that as long as Ranil Wickremesinghe is leader of UNP he would never join that party.

Once late Ashraff had mentioned that only through the executive presidential system the rights of the minority communities could be protected but Rauff Hakeem has joined the UNP to abolish the executive presidency and opposed Ashraff’s statement. Azwer noted that thousands of people in the Northern and Eastern Provinces joined the SLFP to strengthen the President’s hands and ensure his victory.

Azwer said the Muslims cannot be won by foreign currencies. Addressing the media Matale Mayor Hilmi Careem stated that President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the only leader working throughout for the sake of the country.He will extend his support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and will be engaged in election propaganda campaign jointly with the Ministers, SLFP Parliamentarians.