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by Rodney Martinesz and A.H.M. Farook

The Leader of the National Unity Alliance, Ferial Ashraff yesterday extended conditional support to the governing United National Front's efforts to negotiate a peace deal with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Ashraff told the Daily News that she has extended backing to her archrival Rauff Hakeem who leads the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress as long as the interests of the Muslims in the North and East are protected in any agreement reached at the forthcoming peace talks. "Yes, we are holding talks with Mr. Hakeem, and our support will be contingent on the cause of the North-Muslims being canvassed at any discussion," with the LTTE, Ashraff said.

The talks between the two groups is aimed at evolving a common strategy to safeguard Muslim demands in the peace talks. Hakeem is tipped to be a member of the government's delegation to the peace talks due to be held in Thailand between the 16th and the 18th of September.

The NUA has three members of Parliament who now support the opposition People's Alliance in the House. Ashraff, whose late husband founded the SLMC, had a falling out with Hakeem over the leadership of the party after his death.

The SLMC leadership sacked the NUA parliamentarians after the split. Meanwhile M.L.M Hisbullah, a member of the NUA told a television channel a few days ago that they had buried the hatchet with Hakeem and was willing to work with the SLMC to preserve the rights of the Muslims.

Hisbullah has said that Hakeem is the only person capable of leading the party at this critical juncture where the Muslims of the North and East faced innumerable problems. "We are ready to accept his leadership and work closely with him," Hisbullah added. "At a time when the government is making every effort to bring peace and find a solution to the ethnic conflict the need of the hour is to rally around the SLMC and strengthen the hand of it's leader," he said.

The NUA had earlier proposed that a separate council for the Muslims in the East, comprising the electorates of Pottuvil, Sammanthurai and Kalmunai be created as part of the eventual solution.

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