COLOMBO : Venerable Athuraliye Rathana Thero has been appointed by the ‘Ape Jana Bala Pakshaya’, also known as Our Power of People Party (OPPP), to fill its National List parliamentary seat.
The Chairman of the Election Commission Nimal G. Punchihewa said that the venerable Thero’s name has been sent to the government printer to be gazetted.
The relevant gazette notification, issued by the Commissioner General of Elections, has been published by the Department of Government Printing.
‘Our Power of People Party’ had recently faced a crisis following a dispute within the party with regard to its National List seat in Parliament.
OPPP had received a total of 67,758 votes (0.58%) at the General Election in August and despite failing to win any seats in the districts it contested, the party did manage to receive one National List seat.
Former JHU MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero, Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) general secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero and Ven. Pahiyangala Ananda Sagara Thero were among the Buddhist monks who had contested the parliamentary election under the flag symbol of the party.
