SLMC to contest on UNP ticket

The SLMC would contest the first ever election to the Eastern Provincial Council on the UNP ticket, well informed sources said.

They had reached an understanding on an agreement, the sources said. This would pave the way for the SLMC to propose a chief ministerial candidate, the sources said, asserting an agreement between the UNP and the SLMC was a forgone conclusion.

The sources claimed the recent talks to explore the possibility of all Muslim parties coming together to contest the elections on the UPFA ticket had been a farce. The UNP and SLMC had agreed to join hands almost immediately after the government called the election, the sources said.

The UNP-SLMC coalition would pit itself against the UPFA which has the backing of breakaway LTTE group TMVP.

Although the SLMC hadn’t announced its chief ministerial candidate as yet M. L. M. Hisbullah, formerly of the PA and the incumbent SLMC chief in the Batticaloa District is believed to be a leading candidate.

Hisbullah was believed to be one of key movers of the bid to strike a deal with the SLFP, the sources said.

Others said SLMC General Secretary M. T. Hasen Ali, MP, would quit his National List seat to lead the UNP list. Ali wasn’t available for comment yesterday as he was in the East.

A final decision is expected to be announced by Tuesday.

Government sources said they weren’t unduly worried about the UNP-SLMC coalition as Eastern Province Muslims were well represented in Parliament.