SLMC rank and file in disarray following cross over

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 February 2004, 18:18 GMT]
The rank and file of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) is in disarray following the formation of a new political party, Muslim National Front (MNF) and three former SLMC parliamentarians joining it, political sources said.

The leader of the MNF, Mr. A.L.M.Athaullah, said Friday that he and others of the new party would contest on the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), a political alliance formed by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in the forthcoming general election as he could not register the new party with the Election Commission at short notice, sources said.

All three former SLMC MPs, H.M.Harris, Anver Ismail and A.Azeez, represented the Amparai electoral district in the dissolved parliament have joined the new party and are to contest the forthcoming general election in the Amparai district.

Mr. Harris, Mr.Anwer Ismail and Mr.Azeez signed the nomination papers in the presence of President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge to contest on the UPFA ticket, Presidential secretariat in a press release said Friday.

With the cross over of his one time close associates, the SLMC leader Mr.Rauff Hakim has been forced to select alternate candidates to contest the Amparai electoral district on SLMC ticket, political sources said.

Mr.Athaullah of MNF said at a press briefing that his new party would contest Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts on the UPFA ticket, media sources said.