The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem told reporters Wednesday that the Muslim minority needs peace with dignity in dealing with the separatist ethnic question with the Tamil Tigers.

Hakeem said peace and security of the minority Muslims would be the concern of the SLMC, the country's main Muslim party in the forthcoming presidential poll.

The SLMC said Tuesday it would support the main opposition candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe in the presidential election.

Hakeem said the decision was based on the SLMC conviction that Wickremesinghe was the candidate with the "ability, credibility and commitment" to further the stalled peace negotiations with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels.

"Mr. Wickremesinghe is in a better position to take off on the peace process without compromising the aspirations of the Muslims, " said Hakeem, adding that the Muslims would be looking to pursue a realistic road map for peace negotiations with the LTTE rebels when the talks resumed.

The SLMC leader said that with his party's backing Wickremesinghe's victory in the Nov. 17 poll has now been assured.

Hakeem said that his talks with Wickremesinghe's rival the incumbent prime minister Mahinda Rajapakse to forge an alliance was not successful as the SLMC was uncomfortable with Rajapakse's electoral pacts with extremist parties.

Source: Xinhua