The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), on Monday pulled out of the National Advisory Committee on Peace and Reconciliation (NACPR), alleging that President Chandrika Kumaratunga was destabilising the SLMC by "buying over three of its parliamentarians who have agreed to vote for a Constituent Assembly".
The SLMC on Friday said it would participate in the NACPR, but decided to suspend participation on eve of the first meeting on Monday on being informed that Kumaratunga had got the three defectors to function as an alternate group in the NACPR .
Leader of the SLMC Rauff Hakeem, addressing a well attended news conference at ‘Darussalam’, the partys headquarters in Vauxhall Lane, said they were suspending participation because Kumaratunga was trying to humiliate the SLMC by promoting various structured groups against it.
He said that the three defectors Abdul Majeed, Ameer Ali and Rishard Baduideen had also given their written consent to vote for a Constituent Assembly which would enable Kumaratunga to circumvent the law and change the constitution.
Hakeem, launching what he said was an attack on Kumaratunga’s actions, said they were willing to take her on and would stage mass protests in the North and East of the country to expose her and traitorous actions of the three defectors whose only concern was self glorification.
"We will not allow the President to circumvent the law with a view to reducing minority representation in parliament so that her hold on power could be prolonged".
Hakeem described the three defectors as "traitors", who had let down the Muslim community.
Asked if his leadership was the cause for defections, Hakeem said that it could not be, because all the defectors had been attracted by portfolios dangled at them by Kumaratunga.
"We are a democratic party and issues can be thrashed out within the party. The three Parliamentarians would be asked to show cause for their actions. If they really care about the Muslims, then they would not resort to such traitorous actions. If they want to talk unity then then they should return after relinquishing their positions. It is only then that we could believe they are principled politicians".
Hakeem said that regardless of the defections the SLMC will grow in strength as successive elections results have shown.
"Our vote base has continued to increase despite the so called defections.The people recognise the SLMC and will continue to vote for it", he added.
