Monk's party to join Lankan Govt

None | ByPress Trust of India, Colombo
Published on: Jan 31, 2007 02:48 PM IST

The Jathika Hela Urumaya has nine seats that could give President Rajapaksa a comfortable majority.

Sri Lanka's only party of Buddhist monks on Wednesday announced that they will join the government and also accept a cabinet portfolio.

HT Image
HT Image

The National Heritage Party, or Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), said it will support President Mahinda Rajapaksa who on Sunday inducted a 53-member cabinet to accommodate opposition legislators who defected to his party.

The Buddhist monks' party has nine seats that could give the president a comfortable majority.

Eighteen MP's from the main opposition joined the government Sunday. But even with them, the government has only a one-seat majority.

The joining of the monks will increase the majority to 10.

JHU spokesman Nishantha Warnasinghe said a saffron-robed monk will not enter the cabinet and have instead nominated layman and party strategist Champika Ranawaka.

A Buddhist monk legislator will step down from parliament to make way for Ranawaka. This would increase the cabinet strength to 54 members.

Get Latest real-time updates on India News, Weather Today and Latest News, Bharat Bandh Today Live and Jaguar Fighter Jet Crash on Hindustan Times.
Get Latest real-time updates on India News, Weather Today and Latest News, Bharat Bandh Today Live and Jaguar Fighter Jet Crash on Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
SHARE
close
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
Get App