Who will be the first Muslim CM in the East?

OPINION 

BY President, South Eastern Social Welfare Association, M H M Haleem

A M Jameel

It has been confirmed that a Muslim will be appointed as the Chief Minister (CM) in the Eastern Province. There is also a confirmation that the first Muslim CM position will be occupied by a member from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).  

The SLMC having won 7 seats in the just concluded Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) elections by contesting independently and campaigning against the government during the run up to the elections has now become the deciding factor or as one may call it the ‘kingmaker’ in deciding which party would govern the Eastern Province.

Therefore, a situation has arisen that if the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) headed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to govern the Council in the East, it cannot do so without the support of the SLMC and therefore it has been forced to sacrifice the CM position to a member from the SLMC.
In the current scenario, there has been a growing debate both among SLMC supporters and the Muslims in general as to which SLMC member would be the most fitting and eligible candidate out of the SLMC members elected who could take up this huge mantle of the CM.