All Ceylon Makkal Congress

The All Ceylon Makkal Congress (Tamil: அகில இலங்கை மக்கள் காங்கிரஸ், romanized: Akila Ilaṅkai Makkaḷ Kāṅkiras; Sinhala: සමස්ත ලංකා මහජන කොංග්‍රසය Samasta Lanka Muslim Kongrasaya) is a registered political party in Sri Lanka.^[1] It was founded in 2005 by Rishad Bathiudeen. Since 2020, the All Ceylon Makkal Congress has been a constituent party of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) member Rishad Bathiudeen was elected as a United National Front (UNF) MP, of which the SLMC was a member, at the 2001 parliamentary election.^[2] He was re-elected in the 2004 parliamentary election.^[3] However, the UNF was defeated by the newly formed United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) at the election.^[4][5] After the election, differences arose amongst the SLMC MPs as to whether they should join the UPFA government.^[6] SLMC MP Hussein Ahamed Bhaila defected to the UPFA on 18 May 2004.^[7] The SLMC suspended three MPs; M. N. Abdul Majeed, Rishad Bathiudeen and Bhaila; over their opposition to the leadership of Rauff Hakeem.^[6] The SLMC began disciplinary proceedings against the three MPs and party activist M. Inamullah.^[8] The quartet were expelled from the SLMC on 30 May 2004.^[9] The expelled MPs began legal proceedings to regain their SLMC membership, but on 30 July 2004 the Supreme Court announced that it had reserved judgement on the case.^[10]

On 30 October 2004, Abdul Majeed and Badhiutheen, together with another dissident SLMC MP, Ameer Ali, were appointed non-cabinet ministers in the UPFA government.^[11][12] Abdul Majeed, Ali and Badhiutheen were expelled from the SLMC on 23 March 2005 for accepting the ministerial positions.^[13] Another legal battle ensued and on 1 July 2005 the Supreme Court ruled that the three MPs expulsion from the SLMC was invalid.^[14][15][16] The dissident SLMC MPs founded a new political party, the All Ceylon Muslim Congress (ACMC), later in 2005.^[17] In January 2007 Badhiutheen was promoted to the cabinet whilst Bhaila became a deputy minister; Abdul Majeed and Ali remained non-cabinet ministers.^[18][19] Abdul Majeed rejoined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in 2007.^[20]

Contesting under the UPPA, the ACMC secured three seats in Parliament - Badhiutheen, Hunais Farook and M. L. Alim Mohammad Hisbullah - at the 2010 parliamentary election. After the election Badhiutheen remained in the cabinet whilst Hisbullah became a deputy minister.^[21][22] The All Ceylon Muslim Congress was later renamed All Ceylon Makkal Congress (All Ceylon People's Congress).^[23] Farook left the UPFA and joined the opposition United National Party on 26 November 2014 in order to support common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena at the presidential election.^[24][25] Ali was appointed as a UPFA National List MP in Parliament in December 2014.^[26] The ACMC left the UPFA on 22 December 2014 to support Sirisena at the presidential election.^[27][28] Hisbullah however remained in the UPFA to support President Mahinda Rajapaksa.^[29][30] Rajapaksa dismissed Badhiutheen from the cabinet.^[31] After the presidential election newly elected President Sirisena rewarded the ACMC by appointing Badhiutheen to the cabinet and Ali as a deputy minister.^{[32][33][34][35]}

In July 2015 the ACMC joined with other anti-Rajapaksa parties to form the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) to contest the parliamentary election.^[36][37] Contesting on its own in one electoral district, Ampara District, the ACMC received 33,102 votes (0.30%), but failed to win any seats in Parliament.^[38][39] The ACMC did however secure five seats under the UNFGG - Ali, Badhiutheen, Abdul Rahuman Izak, M. A. M. Maharoof and M. H. M. Navavi. Badhiutheen and Ali remained cabinet and deputy ministers respectively after the election.^{[40][41][42][43][44][45]}

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