SLMC denies Opposition allegations

by P. Krishnaswamy

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) General Secretary M.T.Hasan Ali MP denied Opposition accusations that the government in a ploy to scatter Muslim votes, permitted two of its Muslim allies to contest the September 20 Uva PC polls on their own.

The SLMC formed an alliance with three other Muslim parties, including the All Ceylon Muslim Congress led by Minister Rishard Bathiudeen, at the request of the local Muslim communities and not at the instigation of the Government, Ali said.

The Democratic Unity Alliance (DUA) and the Up-country Muslim Council are the other two constituent parties of their alliance and there are Tamil and Sinhalese among the 21 candidates fielded by them, he said.

The candidates of their alliance who get elected will function independently in the Provincial Council and will not join the government or the Opposition, he said. Although they are Government allies in the centre, there is no agreement between them that precludes them from contesting Local Government and PC polls on their own, he said.