PRIME MINISTER MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA ASSURES A CLEAR MAJORITY WHILE RAUFF HAKEEM NEGOTIATING TO JOINAY
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles
June 22, 12.45 PM:Amidst new assurances by the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) to support the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga by joining it Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed that the government would show a clear majority in the parliament after July 20.
While the Prime Minister addressing a meeting at Anuradhapura did not name any political group who would support the government afresh aiding the currently minority government to gain a clear majority, he said there were many opposition Members of Parliament who loved the country and the government to go forward assuring the forward march of the nation.
The apparent fresh moves on the part of the government to win new support from the opposition to carry on with the governing power came afresh as the opposition United National Party (UNP) with the support of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and the proxy party of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE ) the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) produced a letter with 118 signatures of parliamentarians to Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara that the Opposition now had a clear majority in the parliament. While the SLMC signed the opposition letter submitted on the strength that nine Buddhist monks strangely joined hands with the LTTE proxy party to consolidate the opposition power, the Muslim party is yet negotiating with the government to join it on conditions.
Interviewed by the Sinhalese service of the BBC, the Sandeshaya Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader and former Minister in the Ranil Wickremesinghe cabinet Rauff Hakeem said his party was ready to enter the government on two conditions (1) There should be absolutely no changes made to the current constitution of Sri Lanka (2) The government should accept the Muslims as a separate entity at any future peace talks. He said strictly under those conditions his party’s 10 MP’s would help the government to gain a clear majority and join it. He did not mention the number of cabinet positions offered to them in return.
While the majority of the people have demanded a change in the late Junius Jayewardene created constitution of Sri Lanka, at several elections, the Muslim Congress is diametrically opposed to the notion of even any amendment to it. The SLMC in the discussions with the government has urged to abandon government’s effort to start a constituent assembly to amend the constitution as part of this demand.
Speaking obviously about the proposed SLMC support to the government outspoken Ranil Wickremesinghe protégé, former Minister Rajitha Senarathna said who would want to support a government that was about to collapse in the midst of economic ills created by foreign aid being denied and the LTTE about to start a war.
But in contrast, the Prime Minister addressing the inaugural Provincial Council election campaign meeting for the UPFA, at Anuradhapura, was confident that the government would make it and it would show a majority by July 21. He said, it was sure, the government would gain a hands down victory at all the Provincial Council elections like in the Wayamba, and that would further strengthen the sovereignty of the government, as expressed by the majority of the people at the last general elections. He said during the short period of time, the government had fulfilled many election promises by reducing the price of fertilizer, starting to give employment to the unemployed graduates and providing free school uniforms to the children.
