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SLMC rebels 'suspend' Hakeem

By V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO. DEC. 2. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) today headed for a split after its leader, Rauff Hakeem, was "removed from the party's leadership and suspended from its membership" by dissidents today, triggering volatility in the island's politics.

SLMC dissidents led by A.L.M. Athaullah, who was suspended by Mr. Hakeem on Sunday, told a press conference that they had the power to change the leadership. The number of MPs backing the rival leaders is not yet known, but four of the 12 SLMC MPs were present at the press conference.

As the ruling United National Party (UNP) is dependent on the SLMC for its two-seat majority in the 225-member Parliament, the crisis in the SLMC could set off political volatility. At the crux of the rivalry between Mr. Hakeem and Mr. Athaullah is control of the party. Mr. Hakeem succeeded the SLMC founder, the late A.H.M. Ashraff, but his leadership has been under challenge.

The divide widened particularly after Mr. Hakeem entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), through which he was acknowledged as the sole representative of the Muslims in the ongoing peace negotiations.

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