Supporting Govt, the need of the hour -SLMC

by P. Krishnaswamy

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) unanimously decided at its high command meeting to support the proposed Constitutional amendments considering the changing concepts of national unity and communal amity under the administration of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, party Chairman Basheer Segu Dawood MP told the Sunday Observer.

From its inception the SLMC's relations with the UNP remained unstable and obscure and consequently the party took this decision considering the current need for 'cooperate nationalism' which would benefit the country as a whole while also benefiting the minority communities, he said.

In the past too the minority communities had in one way or the other supported the party in power because they did not want their communities being left out in development programs.

President Rajapaksa is a charismatic national leader who has won the support of a large majority of the people and it is logical to extend him our support for him to go ahead with his far-reaching programs for national unity and prosperity, Dawood said.

Divisive and confrontational politics adopted since independence by the political parties of the Tamil-speaking people, including the Muslim political parties, and also the national political parties contributed to social, political and economic decline.

The politics of violence has now been defeated and peace has been restored. The time is now ripe to join hands with the President to build a prosperous nation, Dawood said adding that 'the minorities had missed this opportunity in the past due to various unforeseen reasons'.

Dawood declined to comment whether they would join the UPFA Government or not.