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.



Out of the seven SLMC members elected, two names that have been widely recommended by the party are National Organiser of the SLMC Youth Wing, A M Jameel and the recently reverted SLMC member, Hafeez Nazeer Ahamed who was given the position of Deputy Leader following his reentry.

 Out of these two members, A M Jameel, who has been reelected to the EPC for the second consecutive time is a more popular choice as he is believed to be a person 100% faithful and loyal to both the party and its leadership.

Jameel is known as a person who had been working for the SLMC since his student life and was instrumental in establishing the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka (SEUSL).

At the height of the war that erupted in the Eastern Province in the 1990s, a period when the education of the Muslim students at the Eastern University was under threat, the Student Federation, which was under the leadership of Jameel was successful in its efforts in the establishment of a University in the South Eastern part of Sri Lanka. During the time, Jameel brought together all students under his Federation and took to the streets demanding and exerting pressure on the Late SLMC leader M H M Ashroff to set up this University.
Following the inception of the University in this fashion, Jameel has also contributed 100 percent to this University’s development. It has to be noted that Jameel was appointed as the personal nominee of Late SLMC Leader M H M Ashroff to take forward development initiatives at this University.

One should analyse his leadership capabilities taking into account that Jameel, being an ‘ordinary student’ had played a major role in the foundation of a University and then developing the University to a National University’s stature.

Similarly, Jameel has been closely cooperating with the SLMC Leader, Rauf Hakeem in the development of the party ever since the latter took over the leadership mantle. Most notably, Jameel, in his capacity as the National Organiser of the Youth Wing has created many youth Associations for the SLMC across the districts in the country further strengthening the power of the party.

This is the kind of person who has contested in Ampara district and was reelected. Therefore, one should raise no doubts as he is the only person who possesses the knowledge and experience in the management of the Provincial Council.

In the meantime, the supporters of the SLMC are of the firm belief that the Chief Minister should emerge from the Amparai district as the party has achieved four seats out of seven through a resounding victory in the three major electorates in the province, where Muslims are a majority.

On the other hand, it is a well known truth that Kalmunai electorate has been frequently described and portrayed as the ‘face of the East’, a capital of the Muslim province and as the heart of the SLMC by the Late founder Leader of SLMC M H M Ashroff.

The native birth place of Jameel, Sainthamaruthu which is part of the Kalmunai electorate is an area where 90 percent of the Muslims have voted for the SLMC in each and every previous election. Therefore, the Sainthamaruthu region plays a crucial role even in the endorsement of Rauff Hakeem as the SLMC Leader. This is remembered by the SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem at every given opportunity and even during the final campaign in Sainthamaruthu of the just concluded elections, the SLMC leader did not fail to express gratitude to the people for this endorsement.

Apart from this, during the final stages of election campaigns in the area held recently, the SLMC Leader, whilst calling out for the victory of Jameel also said that a leadership from the East should emerge from Sainthamaruthu. Thousands of people who had attended this meeting would bear witness to these words as his speeches made are still clinging in their ears.

Hafiz Nazeer Ahamed

On the other hand, although Hafees Nazeer Ahamed emerged victorious from the Batticaloa district and whose name has also been widely speculated to be the next CM, it is suspicious as to the extent to which the SLMC leadership could cordially work together with him.

In addition, one should not forget that Hafees Nazeer was a person who until recently became a threat to the SLMC as he had filed many cases in Court previously against the party and its leader Rauff Hakeem. 


When Ferial Ashroff was the joint leader of the party, Nazeer supported her, and together with the blessings of the Chandrika government at the time he had tried to plot many times to pull down SLMC Leader Rauf Hakeem although they were not successful. However, when Rauff Hakeem was elected to the leadership, he took sides with Athaullah and was successful in defecting Athaullah from the party by offering billions to him.

At a time when Rauff Hakeem was participating in the Oslo negotiations Hafeez Nazeer played a major role in buying out 12 members from the 23 members of the party’s High Command and threatened to throw Rauff Hakeem from the leadership. Rauff Hakeem can also not forget the way he was humiliated and had to face the Court of Law due to the actions of Hafees Nazeer.

Although that day, Rauf Hakeem had protected his leadership position he could not prevent the party from being separated.  Today, Hafeez Nazeer should take responsibility for the immense challenge posed by Athaullah to SLMC Leader Hakeem in the political arena.

It is also a well known secret that Hafees Nazeer had rejoined the SLMC recently only under strict conditions. Since he had sacrificed ‘Darussalam’ premises for the party, he wanted the Deputy Leader position of the party and along with it he has demanded a National list MP position in the future. This has been a verbal agreement made and fortunately not written.

There are a lot of historical instances like this where Hafees Nazeer had acted in a way to split the SLMC into pieces. However, that is not the motive of this article. The question one should ask in today’s political situation is whether one needs a person who is faithful to the party and the leadership or a person who by having the powers of the CM would try to plot the next split of the SLMC? The objective of this article is to find a solution to this question.

Who is more trustworthy and reliable to the party among Jameel and Nazeer Ahamed?

The SLMC supporters therefore ardently believe that the person to be appointed to the CM among the two should be someone who would try to safeguard the Muslim community and someone who is suitable and trustworthy.

South Eastern Social Welfare Association

President M H M Haleem

Comments to sewahaleem@gmail.com

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