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Sri Lankan politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Abdul Rauff Hibbathul Hakeem (born 13 April 1960) is a Sri Lankan politician and current member of parliament, representing the Kandy electorate since 2010. Hakeem is the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), and a member of the United National Front for Good Governance.
Rauff Hakeem | |
|---|---|
| රවුෆ් හකීම් ரவூப் ஹக்கீம் | |
| |
| Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage [lower-alpha 1] | |
| In office 12 January 2015 – 3 June 2019 | |
| President | Maithripala Sirisena |
| Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
| Minister of Justice | |
| In office 22 November 2010 – 28 December 2014 | |
| President | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Prime Minister | D. M. Jayaratne |
| Preceded by | Athauda Seneviratne |
| Succeeded by | Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe |
| Minister of Posts and Telecommunication | |
| In office 28 January 2007 – 16 December 2007 | |
| President | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Prime Minister | D. M. Jayaratne |
| Minister of Ports Development and Shipping | |
| In office December 2001 – April 2004 | |
| President | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
| Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
| Preceded by | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Succeeded by | Mangala Samaraweera |
| Minister of Internal and International Trade Commerce, Muslim Religious Affairs and Shipping Development | |
| In office 19 October 2000 – 20 June 2001 | |
| President | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
| Prime Minister | Ratnasiri Wickremanayake |
| Succeeded by | Ronnie de Mel [lower-alpha 2] |
| Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Parliament of Sri Lanka | |
| In office 25 August 1994 – 18 August 2000 | |
| Preceded by | Ariya B. Rekawa |
| In office 14 September 2000 – 10 October 2000 | |
| Succeeded by | Lalith Dissanayake |
| Leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress | |
| Assumed office 2000 | |
| Preceded by | M. H. M. Ashraff |
| Member of Parliament for Kandy District | |
| Assumed office 2010 | |
| In office 2000–2004 | |
| Member of Parliament for Ampara District | |
| In office 2004–2008 | |
| Succeeded by | A. M. M. Naushad |
| Member of Parliament for National List | |
| In office 2008–2010 | |
| Preceded by | Basheer Segu Dawood |
| In office 1994–2000 | |
| Member of the Eastern Provincial Council for Trincomalee District | |
| In office 2008–2008 | |
| Succeeded by | A. U. Razik Fareed |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 April 1960 Nawalapitiya, Ceylon |
| Political party | Sri Lanka Muslim Congress |
| Alma mater | Royal College, Colombo, Sri Lanka Law College |
| Profession | Attorney-at-law |
| Website | rauffhakeem |
| |
Hakeem was born 13 April 1960 in Nawalapitiya in Kandy District.[1][2] He was educated at Royal College, Colombo[2][3][4] and attended the Sri Lanka Law College, taking oath as an attorney-at-law.[5] He later gained a LL.M. degree from the University of Colombo.[2]
Hakeem met M. H. M. Ashraff, the founder and leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), whilst working at Faisz Musthapha's law chambers.[6]
Hakeem joined the SLMC in 1988.[1] He served as general-secretary of the party from 1992 to 2000 and represented it at the All Party Conference from 1991 to 1993.[5] Prior to the 1994 parliamentary election, the SLMC entered into an electoral pact with main opposition People's Alliance (PA).[7]
After the election, Hakeem was appointed as a PA National List MP in the Sri Lankan Parliament.[8][9] Following the PA's victory the SLMC joined the new government.[7] Ashraff was appointed Minister of Shipping, Ports and Rehabilitation and two other SLMC MPs became deputy ministers whilst Hakeem became Deputy Chairman of Committees.[7][10][11][12][13]
By 2000 relations between the SLMC and PA had become strained.[14] Earlier, in 1999, Ashraff had founded the National Unity Alliance (NUA) with the aim of creating a "united Sri Lanka by 2012".[15][16] Ashraff was killed in a mysterious helicopter crash on 16 September 2000.[17][18][19] Hakeem contested the 2000 parliamentary election as one of the NUA's candidates in Kandy District. He was elected and re-entered Parliament.[20] He was appointed Minister of Internal and International Trade Commerce, Muslim Religious Affairs and Shipping Development after the election.[21][22]
Following the death of Ashraff in September 2000 Hakeem became the SLMC's "thesiya thalaivar" (national leader) but there was a power struggle between Ashraff's widow Ferial Ashraff and Hakeem for control of the party.[5][23] In June 2001 President Chandrika Kumaratunga dismissed Hakeem from the cabinet.[24][25] As a result, Hakeem and most SLMC MPs left the PA.[23][26][27] However, Ferial Ashraff remained in the PA as leader of the NUA.[23]
In October 2001 the Hakeem led SLMC joined the United National Party dominated United National Front (UNF).[28] Hakeem contested the 2001 parliamentary election as one of the UNF's candidates in Kandy District. He was elected and re-entered Parliament.[29] The UNF defeated the PA at the election after which Hakeem was appointed Minister of Ports Development and Shipping in the UNF government.[30][31]
Hakeem contested the 2004 parliamentary election as one of the SLMC's candidates in Ampara District. He was elected and re-entered Parliament.[32] He however lost his cabinet position after the UNF was defeated by the newly formed United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA).
In January 2007 the SLMC joined the UPFA.[33][34][35] Hakeem was rewarded by being appointed Minister of Posts and Telecommunication.[36][37] The SLMC left the UPFA in December 2007.[38][39] Hakeem resigned from Parliament in April 2008 to contest the provincial council election.[40] He contested the 2008 provincial council election as one of the UNF's candidates in Trincomalee District and was elected to the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC).[41] After the UNF failed to win control of the EPC Hakeem resigned in July 2008 and was appointed as UNF National List MP.[42][43]
Hakeem contested the 2010 parliamentary election as one of the UNF's candidates in Kandy District. He was elected and re-entered Parliament.[44]
In November 2010 the SLMC joined UPFA again.[45][46] Hakeem was rewarded by being appointed Minister of Justice.[47][48]
The SLMC left the UPFA in December 2014 to support common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena at the presidential election.[49][50] President Mahinda Rajapaksa dismissed Hakeem from the cabinet.[51] After the election, the newly elected President Sirisena rewarded Hakeem by appointing him Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage.[52][53][54][55]
In July 2015 the SLMC joined with other anti-Rajapaksa parties to form the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) to contest the parliamentary election.[56][57][58] Hakeem was one of the UNFGG's candidates in Kandy District at the 2015 parliamentary election. He was elected and re-entered Parliament.[59][60] His cabinet portfolio was changed to Minister of City Planning and Water Supply after the election.[61][62][63]
During the 2001 parliamentary election campaign Kumari Cooray, daughter of politician Mervyn J. Cooray, claimed and then denied that she had been having an affair with Hakeem.[64] In May 2004, during the struggle to fill the Speaker position in Parliament, Cooray appeared on Rupavahini and claimed that Hakeem had ended their relationship and that she was suicidal.[65][66] Cooray killed herself by setting herself ablaze outside Hakeem's home in Kollupitiya on 6 October 2005.[67][68] According to the Sunday Times, two months prior to her suicide Cooray had made a complaint at Kollupitiya police station that Hakeem had assaulted her at her home.[69]
Hakeem is married to Shanaz (Shahnaz), owner of an ice cream parlour in Colombo.[70][71][72]
| Election | Constituency | Party | Alliance | Votes | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 parliamentary[20] | Kandy District | SLMC | NUA | 28,033 | Elected | ||
| 2001 parliamentary[29] | Kandy District | SLMC | UNF | 71,094 | Elected | ||
| 2004 parliamentary[32] | Ampara District | SLMC | 68,627 | Elected | |||
| 2008 provincial | Trincomalee District | SLMC | UNF | Elected | |||
| 2010 parliamentary[44] | Kandy District | SLMC | UNF | 54,047 | Elected | ||
| 2015 parliamentary[73] | Kandy District | SLMC | UNFGG | 102,186 | Elected | ||
| 2020 parliamentary[44] | Kandy District | SLMC | SJB | 83,398 | Elected | ||
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