PA to expel SLMC rebel MPs
[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 August 2001, 07:44 GMT]
The ruling People's Alliance has initiated disciplinary inquiry against three Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) parliamentarians for joining the opposition in parliament. The Secretary General of the People's Alliance Mr.D.M.Jayaratne has issued show cause notices on Mr.A.L.A.Athuallah, Mr.M.S.M.Thouweek and Mr.Risvie Sinnalebbe "why they should not be expelled from parliament for the defection from government group."
According to PA sources, these three parliamentarians who are now in the Rauff Hakeem's group of the SLMC, contested the last parliamentary election under the People's Alliance ticket. In the meantime the SLMC politburo led by Minister Ms Ferial Ashraff met Sunday and elected Mr.M.L.A.M.Hisbullah as its new president. Mr.Hisbullah was earlier a Deputy Minister in the PA government before the last year's general election. In that election he lost and is now holding the post of Chairman of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board. Mr.Rauff Hakeem issued a statement Sunday claiming that he still holds the presidentship of the SLMC and not anyone else as told to media institutions by various interested groups. Meanwhile, Mr.Hakeem has appealed to the voters to vote against the government in the August 21 referendum. Minister Ferial Ashraff's group is campaigning for the government.
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