Buddhist Monk party, JHU to Rajapaksa govt

Colombo, Jan 31: Sri Lanka's radical Buddhist monk party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) today said it has decided to join the ruling coalition led by President Rajapaksa and accept one cabinet ministerial portfolio.

''Today we have decided to join the government. One of our nine Monk parliamentarians, Omalpe Sobitha Thera has resigned to pave way for the party chief organiser, Champika Ranawaka to become the member of parliament and then a cabinet minister,'' the JHU's parliament group leader Ven Athuraliye Rathana Thera told UNI