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by Manjula Fernando and A.H.M. Farook

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) dissident members yesterday pledged to continue their support for the government and the peace process despite their differences with leader Rauff Hakeem.

Highways Minister A.L.M. Athaullah. who leads the rebel faction, said the peace process would not be affected by the crisis in the SLMC.

The turmoil in the party was caused by Hakeem's decision to remove Athaullah and party General Secretary Dr. A.L.M. Hafrath from their respective posts and the party membership.

Athaullah and the rebels had meanwhile called a meeting of the SLMC High Command which unanimously decided to remove Hakeem from the party leadership. "This was a decision to safeguard the interests of the party," Athaullah said. Hakeem was due to return to Sri Lanka yesterday from Oslo.

Athaullah said they removed Minister Rauff Hakeem from the leadership and suspended his party membership on a decision of the SLMC High Command based on a Muslim religious concept. The decision to remove the leadership was taken after a petition signed by nine members of the Party High Command was handed over to the General Secretary on November 29.

Athaullah told a media conference: "We convened the meeting according to the Party Constitution and 11 of the High Command members who attended the meeting unanimously decided to remove Hakeem from the leadership."

He said the General Secretary and the Party Chairman were empowered by the constitution to convene an emergency meeting in the absence of their leader. They have appointed Majliz Soora member S.S. Subairdeen as their new leader.

"We also decided to remove National Organiser K. Faisz from the party as he was involved in the Darussalam fracas to disrupt the Sunday's Party High Command meeting which was to be held there." Subsequently the meeting was shifted to the Galadari Hotel. The media conference was attended by General Secretary Dr.A.L.M. Hafrath, Deputy Minister Mohideen Abdul Cader, Minister Noordeen Mashoor, Parliamentarian M.B.A. Azeez, Senior Deputy Leader Dr. Uduma Lebbe, Majliz Soora members S. Thajudeen and S.S.Subairdeen.

Minister Athaullah and Dr. Hafrath denied receiving letters signed by Minister Rauff Hakeem in Oslo on their suspension from the party.

Asked why the Leader had not been informed of Sunday's meeting Dr. Hafrath said that the Leader had already been informed of past developments but he could not be contacted in this instance. "We have warned him several times before that if urgent issues are not addressed they will be compelled to take a decision."

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