Ranil assures Muslim delegation in peace talks

Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe assured that the views of the Muslim community with regard to the ethnic issue would be taken into consideration and there would certainly be a Muslim delegation in future peace talks with the LTTE.

This assurance transpired during a discussion between Muslim National Alliance's leader Hafiz Nazeer Ahmed and the leader of the UNP, a media release from MNA said.

Mr. Wickremesinghe also informed the MNA leader that he would make special arrangements for the displaced Northern Muslims under the Ministry for War Displaced Persons after Hafiz Nazeer Ahmed explained to him the many hardships they were undergoing in refugee camps in Puttalam and other places, the release added.

The UNP leader said he was sorry that some schools, many of them in the South were closing down due to ineptitude of the Government.

He said that he wanted to arrest this trend and raise the status of 1,000 schools in the island to 'Popular Schools' as articulated in the UNP manifesto. He assured Hafiz Nazeer Ahmed that he would include 80 Muslim schools into the programme, the release said.

Hafiz Nazeer Ahmed explained the plight of Muslim schools affected by the war and the tsunami to Mr. Wickremesinghe and requested him to develop these educational institutions to which he readily agreed saying that he believed education must be given a top priority, UNP leader also assured Mr. Ahamed that he would develop Oluvil harbour and the South East University of Sri Lanka to international standards, the media release said.