COLOMBO, Oct. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Leader of Sri Lanka's main Muslim party Rauff Hakeem has said that his party will not join the coalition government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga but will provide conditional support, The Island newspaper said on Tuesday.

    Hakeem, leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) said that there was no prospect of his joining the government but was willing to extend conditional support provided his party's preconditions were fulfilled.

    He said that one of the preconditions the government would haveto meet is the role of Muslims in the future peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels.

    He said that if the principle hurdles are cleared the SLMC would consider granting conditional support to the government.

    Muslims, the second largest minority group after the Tamils in the small Indian Ocean island nation, account for about 8 percent of a population of some 19 million domninated by majority Sinhalese.

    Muslims in the east of the country have constantly accused the LTTE rebels of harassment, abduction and extortion against them after the government and the LTTE rebels signed Norwegian-brokered ceasefire in February 2002 and started directed peace talks seven months later.

    The LTTE rebels walked out of the peace talks in April last year after a six round of talks during former Prime Minister RanilWickremesinghe's government which was defeated in April 2 parliamentary elections this year.

    The Muslims have been striving to conduct separate talks with the LTTE rebels in the peace process to address their own grievances but their aspirations have never been realized. Enditem