By Tharumalee Silva
After much deliberation, a group of Muslim parliamentarians are expected to re-accept their ministerial portfolios this week with a final decision likely to be reached Sunday (28).
The former Muslim ministers, who handed in their resignations from Cabinet as well as state and deputy ministerial posts after the communal violence that followed the Easter Sunday attacks, sought assurances from the Government that the concerns of the Muslim community would be addressed.
Earlier in June, MPs Rauff Hakeem, Kabir Hashim, Rishad Bathiudeen, Abdul Haleem, Mohammed Faizal, Mohammed Hareez, and Ali Zahir Moulana resigned from their portfolios after MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera went on a hunger strike calling for the resignation of Bathiudeen.
However, Kabir Hashim and Abdul Haleem were reinstated as ministers on 20 June.
Soon to get back to work
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, former State Minister of Social Empowerment Ali Zahir Moulana said that the former ministers were still holding discussions to reach a definite decision on their next move.
“We will hold a meeting with all the responsible ministers and their parties to reach a definite decision as to whether or not all the concerns will be addressed, and thereafter, if we decide to return, we will notify the President and the Prime Minister,” the MP said.
Meanwhile, former Deputy Minister of Ports and Shipping Abdullah Mahroof told The Sunday Morning that the former Muslim ministers would most likely take oaths to resume their portfolios on Monday (29).
“We have no issues any longer with resuming our portfolios; our concerns were addressed and all baseless accusations have been proven wrong. We will get back to serving our country as soon as possible,” he said.
Addressing the media recently, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader MP Rauff Hakeem stated that the remaining Muslim MPs would not resume their portfolios until concerns of the Muslim community were addressed.
A spokesperson for Bathiudeen told The Sunday Morning that the concerns which Hakeem mentioned were with regard to the issue in Kalmunai, where the Muslim community was allegedly facing issues with the local government, the Kalmunai North Divisional Secretariat, and other administrative bodies. Furthermore, the Muslim MPs had urged the Government to release the youth arrested under emergency regulations as suspects with relation to the Easter Sunday bombings.
However, the request to release the suspects had not been granted due to concerns over national security, which the MPs have reportedly accepted.
The spokesman, who wished to remain anonymous, also guaranteed that the MPs would resume their roles as ministers by Wednesday (31).
“The MPs would have been reinstated on Friday. However, two of the seven MPs who were to resume their portfolios have travelled out of Colombo, and therefore, it has been postponed. I am positive that the ministers would take oaths in front of the President tomorrow (Monday, 29). We can definitely expect the MPs to be in their ministerial seats by Wednesday latest,” Bathiudeen’s spokesman said.
He further stated that the issue of reinstating the ministers was also temporarily put aside due to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) forming an alliance last week with some political parties. He said that MP Bathiudeen will decide the future of his party – the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) – by 16 August.
After much deliberation, a group of Muslim parliamentarians are expected to re-accept their ministerial portfolios this week with a final decision likely to be reached Sunday (28).
The former Muslim ministers, who handed in their resignations from Cabinet as well as state and deputy ministerial posts after the communal violence that followed the Easter Sunday attacks, sought assurances from the Government that the concerns of the Muslim community would be addressed.
Earlier in June, MPs Rauff Hakeem, Kabir Hashim, Rishad Bathiudeen, Abdul Haleem, Mohammed Faizal, Mohammed Hareez, and Ali Zahir Moulana resigned from their portfolios after MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera went on a hunger strike calling for the resignation of Bathiudeen.
However, Kabir Hashim and Abdul Haleem were reinstated as ministers on 20 June.
Soon to get back to work
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, former State Minister of Social Empowerment Ali Zahir Moulana said that the former ministers were still holding discussions to reach a definite decision on their next move.
“We will hold a meeting with all the responsible ministers and their parties to reach a definite decision as to whether or not all the concerns will be addressed, and thereafter, if we decide to return, we will notify the President and the Prime Minister,” the MP said.
Meanwhile, former Deputy Minister of Ports and Shipping Abdullah Mahroof told The Sunday Morning that the former Muslim ministers would most likely take oaths to resume their portfolios on Monday (29).
“We have no issues any longer with resuming our portfolios; our concerns were addressed and all baseless accusations have been proven wrong. We will get back to serving our country as soon as possible,” he said.
Addressing the media recently, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader MP Rauff Hakeem stated that the remaining Muslim MPs would not resume their portfolios until concerns of the Muslim community were addressed.
A spokesperson for Bathiudeen told The Sunday Morning that the concerns which Hakeem mentioned were with regard to the issue in Kalmunai, where the Muslim community was allegedly facing issues with the local government, the Kalmunai North Divisional Secretariat, and other administrative bodies. Furthermore, the Muslim MPs had urged the Government to release the youth arrested under emergency regulations as suspects with relation to the Easter Sunday bombings.
However, the request to release the suspects had not been granted due to concerns over national security, which the MPs have reportedly accepted.
The spokesman, who wished to remain anonymous, also guaranteed that the MPs would resume their roles as ministers by Wednesday (31).
“The MPs would have been reinstated on Friday. However, two of the seven MPs who were to resume their portfolios have travelled out of Colombo, and therefore, it has been postponed. I am positive that the ministers would take oaths in front of the President tomorrow (Monday, 29). We can definitely expect the MPs to be in their ministerial seats by Wednesday latest,” Bathiudeen’s spokesman said.
He further stated that the issue of reinstating the ministers was also temporarily put aside due to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) forming an alliance last week with some political parties. He said that MP Bathiudeen will decide the future of his party – the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) – by 16 August.