SLMC eyeing pro-LTTE vote

Nadira Gunatilleke

COLOMBO: National Unity Alliance Leader Minister Ferial Ashraff yesterday accused the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress of trying to ruin the chance of Muslim Chief Minister emerging at the Eastern Provincial poll by attempting to split the Muslim vote.

'The SLMC is shamelessly parading a portrait of late leader A.H.M. Ashraff.

They call Pilliyan a beast. But they try to bring a barbarian to power by dividing the Muslim votes and ruining the chance of a Muslim in the East being appointed as Chief Minister.. Addressing the first press briefing of the UPFA in connection with Eastern Provincial Council Election, 2008 held at the Mahaweli Centre, Colombo yesterday, Minister Ashraff said that a majority of the people in the East are Muslims and they represent 23 per cent of the total population in the East and now this number have been further increased.

Late Minister Ashraff established the SLMC to serve these people and give them their identity. The North and East were merged in 1987 without consulting the Muslims and without their consent.

Minister Ashraff pointed out that all the votes against Pilliyan are pro-LTTE and the SLMC is eyeing these votes in order to ruin the hopes of Muslims getting their own Chief Minister.

Now the SLMC is trying to replace Pilliyan (who is a beast according to them) with a deadlier barbarian and they try to do this with the help of the UNP." We question Mr.Hakeem whether he has an agreement with Pilliyan too.

But the people living in the East are ready to stop this move", she added. Presidential Advisor A.H.M. Azwer said the Muslims living in the East appealed to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and requested him to liberate them and the President did so within 44 days with the help of the war heros.

Muslims of the whole world appreciated this deed of President Rajapaksa and promised to offer maximum support and aid. Iran is only one example for this. All the other Islamic countries praised this act of liberating Muslims and offered aid, he added. Representing the United National Party - Democratic Group, Plan Implementation Minister P. Dayaratne said the UNP is trying to sign another agreement with the LTTE in the East.

The Eastern Provincial Council Election is only one step in the Government's forward march under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Minister Dayaratne pointed out that the Chief Minister will be appointed from the party which secures the highest number of votes. All the political parties agreed to this decision.

There is no need of explaining to the people of the East what to do because they have faced the biggest disaster in their lives before being liberated.