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Kandy Central Group Correspondent

Ports, Shipping, Eastern Development and Muslim Religious Affairs Minister Rauff Hakeem told the National Independence Day celebrations held at Al-Manar Central College (National School) Handessa in Udunuwara that President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's National Day address to the Nation had created some hopes in the people that a better political cohabitation between the UNF Government and the PA Opposition would be established for the betterment of the country.

The event was organised by the Udunuwara Muslim Organisation at which Minister Hakeem was the Chief Guest and Land Registration and Deed Affairs Minister Lucky Jayawardhane was the Guest of Honour.

Minister Hakeem added that in case the PA got into a coalition with the JVP it would lead to a possible upheaval in the country's political, economic and social policies creating an adverse situation in those fields in the country. As a politician who had taken part in the forming of the PA as well as the UNF governments and has worked with both the President and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe in ruling the country, he believed that there was no significant differences in economic policies of those two political parties. Under the circumstances, if no hasty decision was taken by the President, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe's efforts to create a new political culture in the country would reap benefits to the people by the end of this year.

However, he believed that although President Kumaratunga made some nasty remarks on some occasions due to her emotions, she was so matured a politician that she would act nicely and refrain from taking such steps. Her address to the Nation too had created such hopes in the people, he said.

Minister Hakeem said that the people of the country, especially the Muslim Community in the East were facing numerous problems. They and people of Sinhala community in those areas are frightened that their power and rights would be weakened due to the amalgamation of the North and East and creation of one administrative unit. Therefore, they were fighting for a system of self-rule for themselves in that area. Under the circumstances the deliberations they had to take part in were highly complex. The government and some of the international community are of the view that a solution could be found by creating a Federal system.

He was of the view that it was necessary to create political and structural changes. A system of government and the constitutions introduced to us by imperialists did not suit our country and our needs any more. These systems and constitutions should be changed completely. It was due to those systems that a disunity among the sections of people and vengeance, hatred has become the order of the day, he said.

Land Registration and Deed Affairs Minister Lucky Jayawardhane, Central Provincial Council Leader of the House Sarath Sikurajapathi, Organisation Chairman Al-Haj S.M.M. Marjan and School Principal B.M. Jameel also spoke,

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