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JHU compromise after split
By Santhush Fernando
The Jathika Hela Urumaya's Supreme Sangha Council held emergency talks yesterday in a bid to settle a crisis which is rocking the party. JHU sources said a decision was taken to reconvene the suspended central committee and to work out a compromise between the clergy and lay factions.

The JHU central committee comprises mainly lay people and some of its key members met the monks yesterday to resolve the crisis which erupted after the central committee was suspended and lay secretary Patali Champaka Ranawaka was removed.

Friday's shocked decisions had been taken after JHU National Organiser Ven. Kolonnawe Siri Sumangala Thera resigned his parliamentary seat, saying he wanted to devote more time to the Dhamma.

The JHU named Ven. Kotapola Amerakiththi Thera to succeed Mr. Ranawaka and the sources said that decision would not change. They said the central committee was to meet yesterday but it was rescheduled for Tuesday to allow time for further talks and compromise measures.

Central Committee members Oliver Abeynayake and former DIG, H.M.G.B. Kotakadeniya, were among the lay members involved in the talks yesterday to settle the crisis. The sources said a new central committee would be appointed and a new constitution worked out jointly by the clergy and lay members.

They said that as part of the compromise, the lay members would not go to courts, challenging the Supreme Sangha Council decision as such a move would affect the overall interest of the nationalist party.

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