Sri Lankan Muslim party under pressure on budget vote

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), an ally in the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse, has come under pressure from its membership not to support the government in the key vote to take place December 14, party officials said Sunday.

“A majority of our executive committee members feel that we should abstain from voting,” said a party official who wanted to remain unnamed.
He said the grassroot members, particularly from the troubled eastern province, thought that the Rajapakse government had failed to address the security issues of the Muslims and their land ownership in the east.

“A decision was taken at the executive committee meeting held Saturday night to leave it to the party leader Rauff Hakeem, the high command, to take a final decision on the matter,” he added.
Hakeem, who is the posts and telecommunications minister in the government, and his five other legislators voted in favour of the government Nov 19 on the second reading of the government’s 2008 budget.

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