Muslim ministers demand Hizbullah as CM

By Poornima Weerasekara

The tussle for the post of Chief Minister of the Eastern Province took another turn with Muslim ministers, yesterday, insisting that M.L.A.M Hizbullah be appointed to the post and warning that they might even leave the government en masse if he were not appointed.

A group of Muslim ministers in the government met the Leader of the House, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva yesterday, and urged that Mr. Hizbullah be made the Chief Minister -- in accordance with the President’s pre-election pledge.

"Withdrawing from the government is a hypothetical alternative that may be pursued. But we have the utmost confidence in the President, who categorically stated that Hizbullah will be made the CM if more Muslims were elected to the Provincial Council, during a satellite discussion with the Eastern people. We have no doubt that he will honour this pledge," said Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Hussein Bhaila.

According to Mr. Bhaila, the meeting with the Leader of the House last afternoon focused on details of when the Eastern Province CM would take oaths and his priorities.

Mr. de Silva headed the special committee which negotiated with Mr. M.L.A.M Hizbullah - a former executive committee member of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) – which prompted the crossover prior to the Eastern Polls.

Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa, Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Parliamentarian Rev. Athuraliye Rathana Thero were also part of this special committee.

Disaster Relief Services Minister Ameer Ali said that the group of Muslim ministers had made a written submission to Mr. Nimal Siripala de Silva, Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa and the President himself reminding them of the pre-election pledge and urging them to ensure that Mr. Hizbullah is installed as Chief Minister.

"This is not a personal issue between Pillayan and Hizbullah. It is a matter of ensuring the democratic rights of the Muslim community, who have elected the most number of members to the Provincial Council," Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Minister Abdul Rishad Badhiyuddeen said.

Tourism Deputy Minister Faizer Mustapha stressed that they were confident that President Rajapaksa would appoint Mr. Hizbullah as CM because the Muslims helped the UPFA secure eight seats.

Mr. Hizbullah said that the group of Muslim ministers had assured him that he would "definitely be made the Chief Minister."

"The group of Muslim ministers contacted me and assured me that I would be appointed CM," he said.

"We urged our fellow Muslims to vote for the UPFA if they wanted to have the Chief Minister chosen from their community. Although Pillayan made the same election pledge to the Tamil community, they have not responded to the same degree as ours. Therefore, in accordance with the pre-election agreement, the CM post should go to the community which brought in the most seats," he addded.

Mr. Hizbullah also stressed that he was confident of gaining Pillayan’s support in governing the Eastern Province.

"I do not feel that Pillayan’s having an armed group under his command is a threat, or that it would hinder the development of the East if I am elected CM. I am confident that I would get Mr. Pillayan’s fullest cooperation and that we will be able to work together for the betterment of the Eastern people," he said.

However, Mr. Hizbullah declined to comment when asked whether he would call for the disarming of the Pillayan group.

The final decision lies with Presidant Rajapaksa, who is away on an official visit to England. Hizbullah obtained 35,949 preferential votes in the Batticaloa district, and came third in the list. However, TMVP Leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillayan, topped the UPFA list by obtaining over 41,000 votes.

Daily Mirror learns that an attempt had been made to coerce Mr. S.L.M. Hasan Moulavi, a UPFA member who was elected from the Trincomalee district, to sign a document calling for Pillayan to be installed as Chief Minister.

An influential government minister is alleged to have made this "request" -- which was rejected.