SLMC leader and Ports Development Minister Rauff Hakeem told a public rally in Kinneya that he had told Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that the SLMC would not support the move for a cross over bill in parliament.

He said he had told the Prime Minister to look for alternate legislature to prevent a dissolution of parliament by the President after December 5, 2002.

He said so to Mr. Wickremesinghe when all leaders of political parties in the UNF government met at Temple Trees at Prime Minister’s invitation.

"I disagreed on the Cross over Bill as I did not wish to deprive the rights of every single Muslim in the country, the pride of being the decision makers behind the central government", Hakeem noted.

Today the Muslims in Sri Lanka face the most challenging time ever in their history when peace negotiations are to take place with the LTTE.

The only avenue left to Muslims was to strengthen the hands of the SLMC as it’s the only Liberation Movement struggling consistently for the Muslims.