Sept 30, Colombo: The crisis within Sri Lanka's governing party ally, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has intensified with several office bearers of the party's decision making body, the High Command, calling on the party secretary to convene a meeting.

A letter has been sent to SLMC Secretary, M.T. Hassan Ali to summon a meeting of the High Command to deliberate important matters including the agreement reached between the government and the SLMC in forming the Eastern Provincial Council.

SLMC sources told ColomboPage that office bearers of the High Command who have sent the letter have been supported by a majority of the 85-member High Command.

The letter states that the last High Command meeting that was adjourned with the decision of re-convening the following day after consultations with the government has yet failed to meet.

The letter explains that those who voted for the SLMC had overwhelming expectations that the party would work to achieve a sustainable political solution that would satisfy the Tamil and Muslim communities.

The office bearers in the letter have expressed their displeasure at the SLMC leadership for arriving at a decision to support the government to form the Eastern Provincial Council following "restricted consultations only with persons with vested interests to achieve their personal political agendas."

"It is our considered view that SLMC could have constructively played a pivotal role in forming a governing alliance. There were a number of options that SLMC could have considered seriously had there been a broader consultation within and outside the party," the letter states.

The letter sent to the SLMC secretary general has called for the convening of the High Command to discuss the contents of the agreement reached between the government and the SLMC; the form and nature of the agreement (whether written or verbal and signatories); criteria adopted in selecting and recommending members to serve in the Board of Ministers in the East and the party's position in respect of supporting and being in the Board of Ministers in relation to anti-minority legislations as well as legislations that would be perceived to against the spirit of devolution.