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The SLMC is in a collision course with a section of influential Muslim politicians backing President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the March 17 LG polls. |
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2011-03-06 |
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SLMC sources allege some Muslim politicians are on the rampage in some parts of the East due the UPFA’s failure to discipline unruly elements in the ruling coalition. Sources say tension is running high following Friday’s incidents involving supporters of SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem and another UPFA politician and his followers in the Akkaraipatu police area. The SLMC contests 52 LG bodies on its own and several others on the UPFA ticket.
Responding to a query by The Sunday Island, an aide to Minister Hakeem said that Akkaraipattu police had done nothing to deter unruly political elements from targeting the SLMC meeting.
Senior police officers at the scene sided with those trying to disrupt the meeting in spite of the SLMC’s request for justice and fairplay. The SLMC, which contested the last parliamentary poll on the UNP ticket, switched its allegiance to the UPFA last year to give a two-thirds majority in Parliament to the ruling coalition.(Read More)
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Mannar UC: Sri Lanka Muslim Congress to support Ind. Gr. No1 |
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2011-03-02 |
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Sri Lanka Muslim Congress has decided to support the independent Group No. 01 contesting under double flag symbol at the Mannar Urban Council election, despite the fact that it had fielded a candidate under the UPFA’s symbol. The party has decided on this effect since the candidate it fielded Nilamudeen Nahusin is extending his support to the All Ceylon Makkal Congress, another constituent party of the UPFA led by Minister Rishard Badiudeen. It was originally agreed to field two candidates, each from Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) two constituent parties in the UPFA nomination papers for Mannar Urban Council election, but at the last moment only one SLMC candidate was included in the list. (Read More) |
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Disgruntled Councillor crosses swords with TNA administration |
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2011-02-28 |
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A disgruntled TNA Vavuniya Town Council member dispatched a memorandum to President Mahinda Rajapaksa against his own party administration of the Vavuniya Town Council.
Councilor S.S. Surendran brought to the cognizance of the President the alleged fraudulent mal-administration purported by Town Council Chairman S.N.G. Nathan, Vice Chairman M. Mukuntharatan, Secretary V. Vasanthakumar and Assistant Local Government Commissioner S. Atchuthan. (Read More) |
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SLMC members safe from UNP legal action |
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2011-02-25 |
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The Colombo District Court yesterday extended the enjoining order issued against UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe preventing him from taking disciplinary action against SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem and six other SLMC parliamentarians.
District Court Judge Ranjith N Wathupala extended this order till March 10 sequel to seven separate civil actions filed by Rauf Hakeem, who is presently the Minister of Justice, and six of his party members. (Read More) |
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Displaced Muslims denied an opportunity to vote at LG poll: SLMC demands govt. intervention |
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2011-02-24 |
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The General Secretary of the SLMC M. T. Hassen Ali yesterday urged the government to ensure that over 18,000 displaced Muslim voters, resident in Puttalam, were provided with adequate transport facilities or to establish cluster polling booths to cast their votes in the Mannar and Mullaitivu districts on March 17th.
Quoting the Commissioner of Elections Ali said the former has no provision to provide transport for local elections. Therefore, he had been compelled to make this request to the government to ensure that thousands of displaced Muslims were allowed to exercise their franchise. (Read More)
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Vote us or suffer |
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2011-02-18 |
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“Either you vote us or suffer” is the new motto of Sri Lanka’s ruling UPFA party’s local Government election campaign. President Mahinda Rajapakse’s lieutenant Wimal Weerawansa told the voters that they will be left with a local Government that can enjoy riding a heavy vehicle round the village if the opposition is given power in their local government. Another said that the Government will appoint their own commissioners to go against the local Government body elected by the people. This is perhaps the most direct threat that the Government would go against the will of the voters. (Read More)
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Less apply for postal voting |
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2011-02-15 |
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A total of 321,000 persons had applied for postal voting at the forthcoming local government elections, a spokesman for Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) said.
He said the number was much less than earlier elections, probably due to the fact that local government elections in certain parts of the country had been postponed due to the forthcoming World Cup cricket matches that commence on Saturday.
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No interest in voting |
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2011-02-14 |
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The voter turn out at the forthcoming Local Government Elections would be lower than usual due to the recent floods and the people’s mistrust in the election process, Election monitors said yesterday.
People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Executive Director, Rohana Hettiarachchi said that the voter turn out during local government elections which was normally lower than those of the national and provincial elections, generally varied between 55%-65%. He said however that the numbers would fall further this year. (Read More) |
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PC members demand pension scheme |
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2011-02-14 |
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The Provincial Council Members Consortium yesterday requested the government to provide them with a pension scheme which they are lawfully entitled to under the Constitution.
The Consortium which includes members from all political parties made this request at a special press conference held in Dambulla.
Members representing the UPFA, UNP, Tamil political parties, the SLMC and the Communist Party yesterday stated that although under the constitution the Provincial Councillors were entailed to a pension scheme, they have not received anything for the last 22 years. (Read More)
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UNP calls for explanation from SLMC |
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2011-02-12 |
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The UNP has sought explanation from its coalition partner the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and its leader Rauf Hakeem as to why they had acted in breach of the electoral agreement between the two parties and voted with the government in Parliament.
In a letter dated February 3, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake has said that the SLMC had continued to violate the directions of the UNP whip in Parliament and therefore asked explanation as towhy the party should not take disciplinary action against the SLMC MPs. (Read More)
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