Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem invited the Tamil National Alliance and the United National Party to accept ministerial portfolios in the Eastern Province and join its government.

He made this invitation at a press briefing earlier today.

SLMC Eastern Provincial Council Member Hafiz Nazir Ahamed was appointed as the CM recently. However, SLMC has only 7 out of 37 members in the council. In the last provincial election, TNA won 11 members while UNP won 4.

Hakeem reiterated that the President and Prime Minister were determined in establishing a national government. While UNP and SLMC are in the present government, TNA is giving support from outside.

Meanwhile, there were some protests in the eastern province against Hakeem for the appointment of Ahamed as CM. These were conducted by supporters of several regional SLMC leaders in the eastern provincial council.