UNP regains right to field Muslim candidates

by Shamindra Ferdinando 
 
 
The unprecedented electoral deal between the UNP and SLMC to contest the first ever elections to the Eastern Provincial Council would help the main Opposition party to re-build its support base in the East, political sources said. 
 
Despite initial reservations, the SLMC had accepted the UNP’s right to nominate Muslims to contest all three districts in the Eastern Province, the sources said. 
 
The SLMC had initially reiterated that the UNP shouldn’t put forward any Muslims in keeping with their previous electoral pact which prevented the main opposition party from nominating a single Muslim in predominantly Muslim electoral districts at the last parliamentary elections in April 2004. 
 
A committee headed by former UNP Chairman N. G. P. Panditharatne that probed the UNP defeat had pointed out that the electoral pact with the SLMC, too, had contributed to the defeat, the sources said. 
 
The sources said UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, who led the recent negotiations, had rejected that surmise. 
 
 
Naushad A. Majeed, in charge of Muslim affairs in the East, who had been involved in the discussions with the SLMC, had wanted the UNP to field three candidates each from Ampara and Trincomalee and two from Batticaloa. Majeed who unsuccessfully contested the Digamadulla electoral district at the last parliamentary election on the SLMC ticket but subsequently switched allegiance to the UNP had challenged the SLMC. Later they had agreed that the UNP would field two candidates each for the Ampara and Trincomalee districts and one for Batticaloa. 
 
 
The UNP also said Naushad would contest Digamadulla as its main chief candidate at the May 10 elections. Political sources said the UNP’s stand forced the SLMC leadership to call a special meeting to discuss the developments. Under heavy pressure to reassert its position, SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem, General Secretary Hassen Ali (SLMC National List) and Chairman Basheer Segudawood (Appointed through the UNP National List) had quit their seats in Parliament to contest the elections on the UNP ticket. The sources likened this to SLMC ‘A’ team contesting on the UNP ticket. 
 
Their decision should be viewed against the backdrop of their being compelled to contest on the UNP ticket despite initially vowing not to give up the tree symbol, a political analyst said. With their resignation, the SLMC had been reduced to just two MPs (Mohammed Faizal and Mohammed Shafeek Rajabdeen). Faizal represents the Digamadulla electorate while Rajabdeen entered Parliament after the assassination of UNP Colombo District MP T. Maheswaran on the first of January this year. This was due to the SLMC contesting the Colombo District on the UNP ticket. 
 
Well informed sources said Hakeem’s vacancy in Parliament would be filled by Naushad who was next in line on the Digamadulla list. The SLMC wouldn’t fill the two National List vacancies until the elections were over, the sources said. 
 
The sources said the result of Digamadulla electorate would decide the ultimate winner.