The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) is infuriated over the government’s failure to appoint one of its nominees to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), despite the Party being one of the constituent partners of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance ( UPFA), with a Cabinet Minister, a Deputy and eight MPs.
The PSC appointed by Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa is led by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and includes ruling party members Ministers Prof. G. L. Peiris, Maithripala Sirisena,
W. D. J. Seneviratne, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Dinesh Gunawardena, Susil Premajayantha, Douglas Devananda, A. L. M. Athaullah, D. E. W. Gunasekara, Rishad Bathiudeen,……Patali Champika Ranawaka, Wimal Weerawansa, Basil Rajapaksa, Lakshman Seneviratne, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, and Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, Deputy Minister Muthu Sivalingam, and MP Sudarshani Fernandopulle.
SLMC Leader and Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem, addressing a meeting at the Main Street in Kalmunai during the weekend said, it was important to have a nominee of the SLMC on the PSC, especially in light of the 13th Amendment, which was all about the rights of the minorities. He said his Party was a majority representative of the Muslim community.
Hakeem said it was a ‘grave injustice’ meted out to his Party that the government had not nominated a member from his Party to the PSC.
It is also paramount that the Muslim community is represented in such a Committee, which also dealt with minority issues, he said, adding that the international community would doubt the government’s sincerity in a proposed solution.
He alleged that the government was amending the 13th Amendment to satisfy some forces within the government. He said the 13th Amendment was guided by forces within the government.
CT