The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader, Minister of Justice Rauf Hakeem is reportedly in a political dilemma due to pressures from his party and the government.

According to local media reports, the rank and file of his party is demanding him to take a crucial political decision regarding the Presidential Election.

However, the government has reportedly indicated that if Hakeem’s party ceases to support the government it will be difficult to accept it back.

Rauff Hakeem had criticized the government on several occasions, most notably during the clashes in Aluthgama in June. The SLFP was reportedly engaged in a ‘charm offensive’ to win back the confidence of smaller parties in the UPFA alliance and SLMC was one of these parties.

Meanwhile, the TNA had also approached the SLMC to seek a broader alliance between parties representing Tamil speaking communities in the island to create a broad front to negotiate a political solution to the ‘national question.’