Rathana Thero appointed to OPPP’s National List MP seat

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 gazette.

Accordingly the former parliamentarian will be once again appointed as a Member of Parliament under Article 99A of the Constitution.

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.

A problematic situation had arisen with regard to the National List seat after the General Secretary of the party Ven. Wedinigama Wimalatissa Thero had submitted a letter to the Election Commission claiming that he has been nominated to enter parliament as the party’s National List MP.

However, a group including the Chairman of the OPPP later notified the commission that the said letter is not valid and that the central committee of the party decided to nominate party member Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero for the National List MP seat.

Meanwhile the General Secretary of the party Ven. Wedinigama Wimalatissa Thero, who was responsible for officially informing the Election Commission of the nominee chosen for the MP seat, had then suddenly disappeared, and was reportedly in hiding. 

The party later decided to appoint a new General Secretary and informed the Election Commission of this decision while also asking the commission to reject the letter sent by Ven. Wimalatissa Thero nominating himself to the seat.

OPPP General Secretary Ven. Wedinigama Wimalatissa Thero, speaking to Ada Derana from an undisclosed location in August, had insisted that he will take his place in parliament until the tussle between Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera and Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera is resolved and also claimed that he is in hiding due to threats to his life.