Suma, Hakeem spar over eleventh hour abolition drama | Page 2 | Sunday Observer

Suma, Hakeem spar over eleventh hour abolition drama

22 September, 2019

Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran got into to an exchange of words on the social media platform Twitter with Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader and Minister Rauff Hakeem on Friday (20) over the abolition of the Executive Presidency.

In response to a question posed on the social media platform asking Sumanthiran, Hakeem and Minister Mano Ganesan to explain what transpired at the Cabinet meeting with regard to the abolition, when there was a “‘tacit consensus” on the matter.

Not long after the question was posed, Sumanthiran responded saying, “No ‘tacit consensus’. In fact Rauff Hakeem opposed the move. Others did not. But it is wrong to call it a conspiracy. Those opposed to abolition could have spoken against it and the Cabinet could have taken a decision. After all this is not a ‘new’ issue. It has been a promise for over 25 years!”

Hakeem retaliated with “No quarrel with Sumanthiran except keeping coalition partners in the dark. I reminded Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe how he similarly smuggled amendments to Provincial Council election Act resulting in all Provincial Council’s being in limbo. I fought former President Mahinda Rajapaksa too trying to abolish the 13th Amendment in Cabinet.”

Sumanthiran fired back stating Hakeem had said he agreed to the Committee Stage Amendment because the President called and pleaded with him to vote for it.

His tweet read, “On the Provincial Council amendment issue, you have told us that you agreed to the Committee Stage Amendments only because the President telephoned you from New York and pleaded with you to vote for it. I am privy to all the negotiations that happened not only in Prime Minister’s room but also in your room.”

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