HON. RAUF HAKEEM FULLY SUPPORTED THE EXECUTIVE PRESIDENCY RIGHT THROUGHOUT. THAT WAS THE SLMC STAND TOO.WHY A CHANGE NOW?
Posted on December 7th, 2009

By Noor Nizam. Sri Lanka Peace Activist, Political Activist and Freelance Journalist ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Canada, December 7th., 2009.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The political history to the background to Hon. Rauf Hakeem supporting the UNF and promising that he will do all what he can to get 80% of the Muslim votes for General (retired) Sarath Fonseka is a bit puzzling. The question he raised at the 54th., UNP convention ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-raja pavulatataha ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” obegepavulatathaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ the UNP votes has to be decided, was in fact not centered at the Muslim voters or the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-poraaligalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of the SLMC.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Hon. Rauf Hakeem has been an ardent supporter and strong believer in the political ideology and the constitutionally formulated Executive Office of President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka – Chapter V11 Section (30.1) and (30.2) of the 1978. It has been recorded in many documents, media reports, lectures and foreign presentation made by Hon. Rauf Hakeem to this fact.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Hon. Rauf Hakeem started to deviate from this stand since he publicly made a joint statement with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in ) October 2009 that the office of the Executive Presidency should be abolished. Why a change now to support presidential candidate who wants to change the Executive Presidency system.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The late Hon. M.H.M.Ashraff stood for the continuity of the Executive Presidency because an Executive President had to have all the communities to govern since his success at the presidential Election more depended considerably on the support of the minorities. This argument was further strengthened by the current proportional representation system which has indirectly shown that a single party could rarely be able to muster the out-right majority on its own to form the government.

The question to the Muslim electorate and the SLMC supporters/voters/poraaligal now is:

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 1. WHY HAS HON. RAUF HAKEEM BEGUN TO DUPE US?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 2. WHERE HAS ALL HIS SUPPORT FOR THE EXECUTIVE PRESIDENCY WHICH HE WHEMENTLY SUPPORTED SUDDENLY VANISHED?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 3. HAS HE GOT THE RIGHT TO REVERSE THE POLITICAL VISION OF THE LATE HON. M.H.M. ASHRAFF WHO STOOD FOR THE CONTINUTITY OF THE OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE PRESIDENCY?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 4. NO MATTER HE HAS THE RIGHT TO SUPPORT A POLITICAL CANDIDATE OF HIS CHOICE AT THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, HON. RAUF HAKEEM CANNOT GO BY POLITICAL DEFAULT TO DRAG THE MINORITY OR MUSLIM VOTES TO ASSURE VICTORY TO A CANDIDATE WHOSE PLATFORM IS TO ABOLISH THE EXECUTIVE PRESIDENCY.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In August 2009, a very senior and respected Eastern Province matured SLMC stalwart and PILLAR of the party who holds a very senior and highly responsible officially elected position within the SLMC stated this to the Muslin Guardian:

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The SLMC, which had always advocated for the Executive Presidency, is of the view that it should not be abolished. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t have a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”hard and fast ruleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ with regard to joining the United Peoples Freedom Alliance government, and in such an event, we could consider joining on policy basis. However, grievances of Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Muslims have not been addressed at all,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ he said. This politician from the Eastern Province added that his party never stood for the division of the country, but aspired for a viable power-sharing arrangementƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

He further stated:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We never ever want the country to be divided, but there should be an acceptable power-sharing mechanism, even in predominantly Muslim areas. Only such an arrangement will fulfill the aspirations of the Muslims. Only the government can give us an assurance that our aspirations too, would be fulfilled.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Responding to the question, as what grievances the Muslims are faced with, this ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The SLMC party official said that there were many problems unresolved in the EP.

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We have many grievances, especially in the East. If you take the land issue, over 600,000 acres of land in the EP, which earlier belonged to Muslims, have been illegally taken over. In the Northern Province, the entire Muslim population of more than 100,000 was expelled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) in 1990. Those expelled are still languishing in camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and in temporary houses in the Puttalam district, for the last 20 years. They have lost everything they had, and should receive adequate compensation. We have got everything on record in detail. As such, they should be resettled immediately and paid sufficient compensation.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The issue for HE. Mahinda Rajapaksa is to commit an honest undertaking and a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-REASONABLEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ resolution to the above issues of the Muslims as Sri Lankans to win their votes. (The pledge to vote HE. Mahinda Rajapaksa is a decided factor of the Muslim electorate).

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The question all Muslims and members/voters of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) should ask for themselves is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” how can Hon. Rauf Hakeem dupe SLMC supporters (poraaligal) to vote General (retired) Sarath Fonseka who has nothing in common with the SLMC or the minority politics of Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The answer is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” letƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s vote HE. Mahinda Rajapaksa at this presidential Elections and save the Executive Presidency that will be most beneficial to the Muslim and the Minority communities and then use the goodwill of the Executive Presidency to resolve our issues, the MUSLIM FACTORƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ amicably.

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