Proposed all-party council for the East - an opportunity lost?

The guessing game over the question of who would rule the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) came to an end this week with the deal reached between SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem and the UPFA coalition.

The SLMC fought the election independent of, and therefore in contest with the UPFA, and ended up being wooed by both sides in their attempts to form the council - the Opposition (TNA and UNP) on the one hand, and the government on the other.

The SLMC's support for the UPFA in the EPC was negotiated on the basis of an agreement highly favourable to itself. Although the hotly contested Chief Minister's post fell to the lot of an SLFP candidate for the time being, the SLMC can still boast that it kept its promise of conferring that office on a Muslim. The government's choice was its Trincomalee district candidate Abdul Majeed.

According to the understanding reached, the CM's post will devolve on the SLMC midway through the five-year term of the council. Two of the council's four ministerial posts will be theirs. The party has succeeded in blocking 'rival' Muslim contenders from within the UPFA coalition, from securing key positions. Reports indicate that the other two ministerial posts would go to a Tamil and a Sinhalese. The SLMC will hold a pivotal position in the newly formed provincial administration. With a council of 37 where the Opposition TNA and UNP jointly hold 15 seats, the stance adopted by the SLMC's seven-member bloc could potentially tilt the balance on any crucial vote in the provincial body. Mr. Hakeem who holds the post of Justice Minister in the central government, has undoubtedly pulled off a heist. In the process he seems to have earned the wrath of many. Fellow Muslims within the ruling coalition have openly lambasted him for campaigning in opposition to the government whilst retaining his ministerial perks and privileges. The UNP, under whose banner the SLMC contested at the previous EPC election in 2008, is upset because it has probably lost votes to the SLMC from among its one-time Muslim supporters. The TNA is angry because the SLMC appeared to respond favourably to its overtures to form an alliance, only to be rebuffed at the last minute.

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