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| Saturday, 3 July 2004 |
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| Segudawood and Nijamudeen betrayed Muslim Congress - DUA The Democratic Unity Alliance (DUA), referring to the issue of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) President and its Constitutional Affairs Director joining the UNP condemned it as an act of destruction brought upon the SLMC. In a news release issued yesterday, the DUA said SLMC President Basheer Segudawood and its Constitutional Affairs Director N. Nijamudeen's entry to the UNP bares the future strategy of the SLMC. The DUA said: "The current line of action of the Muslim Congress is glaringly evident. These moves of SLMC Leader Rauf Hakeem are made openly under the pressure of the UNP. Rauf Hakeem's future strategy is crystal clear in the light of the two senior members of the Muslim Congress joining the UNP. Segudawood and Nijamudeen have betrayed the SLMC by joining the UNP in order to take oaths as Members of Parliament on the UNP National List. Under the Memorandum of Understanding entered into between the Muslim Congress and the UNP, the SLMC has been promised four National List memberships in Parliament. But in the MoU between the two parties there is no mention that the National List MPs so nominated should necessarily become members of the UNP. Under those circumstances, one cannot understand as to why two senior members of the Muslim Congress have volunteered to join the UNP. They have either sacrificed the interests of the entire Muslim community for the sake of two Parliamentary seats or they have obeyed the UNP dictates like puppies. "Rauf Hakeem entered Parliament in 1994 as a National List MP of the People's Alliance. Nevertheless, he did not obtain the membership of the People's Alliance. The late A.H.M. Ashraff, the Founder of the Muslim Congress, contested Parliamentary seats under diverse alliances. But he never urged Muslim Congress members to obtain membership of those alliances. The Muslim Congress which so zealously safeguarded its identity is today totally betrayed to the UNP under the leadership of Rauf Hakeem. "The Muslim Congress, in conjunction with the UNP contested 14 Districts at the last General Election. Accordingly, the aggregate of votes won by the UNP included a certain percentage of Muslim Congress votes. With the motive of obtaining the proportionate number of National List seats, Segudawood and Nijamudeen obtained UNP membership thereby betraying the people who voted for the Muslim Congress at the last General Election. "The Muslim Congress President and the other senior member by accepting UNP Membership, in the same breath have agreed to abide by the UNP code of conduct. They cannot act independently as Muslim Congress Members in future. They have no voice to raise on behalf of the Muslim Community. "Their obstinate surrender to the UNP in the absence of any notice to the Muslim Congress Supreme Council or its politburo, is a clear betrayal. We have already mentioned that Rauf Hakeem sold the Muslim Congress to the UNP. Now we say that Rauf Hakeem has despotically sacrificed the Muslim Congress for nothing. We vehemently condemn this destruction brought upon the Muslim Congress." |
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