Hakeem refutes Govt. allegations on ‘separate district’

Friday, 2 January 2015 00:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Ex-Justice Minister and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeem condemned the Government’s campaign of lies and denied his party had ever demanded a separate district in the Eastern Province. Addressing a press briefing yesterday, Hakeem explained that the Government itself had proposed an additional divisional secretary to be appointed to administratively oversee the coastal stretch in Ampara where about 96% of the population were Tamil-speaking.

“These people face problems as they try to communicate when they try to get administrative services in the Ampara District,” he explained. Hakeem said a similar situation is addressed in Vavuniya, where an additional divisional secretary is appointed for Sinhala-speaking people in areas of the district. “We held a series of discussions with the Government on their proposal. Now there are unfounded allegations being spread especially among the Sinhala Buddhist community by the Government to create mistrust,” the SLMC Leader charged. Following the Muslim Party’s exit from the ruling coalition, Government ministers claimed that the departure was a result of President Rajapaksa refusing to grant Muslims a separate district in the Eastern Province. “We condemn this campaign of lies,” Hakeem said. (DB)