NUA will remain with Govt - Kalam

BY P. Krishnaswamy

NATIONAL Unity Alliance (NUA) spokesman and Condominium Management Authority (CMA) Chairman Abul Kalam dismissed as 'inconsequential' their dissident leader M. L. A. M. Hisbullah's threat to quit the party with his supporters if the party did not break alliance with the Government within 48 hours, as protest against Muslims' under-representation in the recently signed Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS).

Their party will continue to remain in the UPFA alliance since they strongly believed in President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's commitment of justice and fairplay by the minorities and were confident of the resolution of Muslims' concerns with regard to the P-TOMS, Kalam said.

Party Senior Assistant Secretary Hisbullah resigned last Sunday as Aviation and Airport Authority Chairman and threatened to resign party membership if the NUA leadership and ranks did not follow suit, giving rife to speculations of a break-up of the alliance.

Hisbullah kept away from taking part in party activities for over six months and his sudden announcement seemed to insinuate of a hidden motive for doing that, Kalam said.

"If he was genuinely concerned of the Muslim community's welfare on the issue, he could either have taken it up with the party leadership or with the party high command," he said.

Kalam said the party leadership already held several rounds of constructive discussions with the President and would hold further discussions on Muslims' representation in the P-TOMS on an equal footing to ensure unhindered post-tsunami recovery and rehabilitation of the affected Muslim areas in the East.