Hakeem back in Parliament

SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem who resigned from his parliamentary seat to contest the eastern provincial council election has decided to return to Parliament next week on the national list, a party source said yesterday.

Mr.Hakeem who was elected to Parliament from the Digamadulla district, will return to the House as a National List MP filling one of the slots that fell vacant following the resignation of two other party members who contested the eastern poll.

SLMC General Secretary Hassan Ali said the party nominated Mr. Hakeem to fill a national list slot allotted to the party on the UNP ticket according to an electoral pact between the two parties.

Mr. Ali said his party informed UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake about the move.

“Mr. Attanayake will inform the Elections Commissioner according to the legal requirements. Next week, our leader will be able to be sworn in as an MP. Later, I will also go to Parliament to fill the other National List vacant slot,” he said.

At the eastern provincial council election, Mr. Hakeem topped the list of preferential votes in the Trincomalee district. Razik Fareed will succeed Mr. Hakeem as a member of the council since he is next in the line on the preference vote list.

SLMC member Basheer Segudawood who also resigned from Parliament to contest the election will succeed as the opposition leader of the eastern provincial council.