The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), which recently defected from the ruling government to endorse the common opposition's presidential candidate, Maithripala Sirisena in the election on January 8, rejected the government's allegations that the party wanted a separate Muslim district in the East.
“The government is making allegations that the SLMC and the TNA have secret agreement to amalgamate the North and the East. We strongly reject that allegation and regret even the President is making such allegations on stage. We do not have any hidden agendas between us. We left the government to uphold good governance in the country,” the SLMC leader and former government minister, Rauf Hakeem was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying.
“During the discussions with the government, it was suggested appointing a separate Additional Divisional Secretary (or AGA) to resolve administrative problems of 96 per cent of Tamil speaking people in the coastal areas of the Ampara District."
“As a result, the government appointed an Additional Divisional Secretary a month ago to decentralise administration in the district. The same thing happened in the Vavuniya District, where such separate Divisional Secretary was appointed to facilitate Sinhala people. But the government is spreading false news that we are demanding a separate district,” he added.
“The government is making allegations that the SLMC and the TNA have secret agreement to amalgamate the North and the East. We strongly reject that allegation and regret even the President is making such allegations on stage. We do not have any hidden agendas between us. We left the government to uphold good governance in the country,” the SLMC leader and former government minister, Rauf Hakeem was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying.
“During the discussions with the government, it was suggested appointing a separate Additional Divisional Secretary (or AGA) to resolve administrative problems of 96 per cent of Tamil speaking people in the coastal areas of the Ampara District."
“As a result, the government appointed an Additional Divisional Secretary a month ago to decentralise administration in the district. The same thing happened in the Vavuniya District, where such separate Divisional Secretary was appointed to facilitate Sinhala people. But the government is spreading false news that we are demanding a separate district,” he added.