Maha Sangha Convention put off due to government’s threat-UNP charges

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 February 2010, 01:58 GMT]
The main opposition the United National Party (UNP) Wednesday accused that the Maha Sangha Convention summoned by the Mahanayake Theras of four chapters on February 18 to consider the current volatile political situation in the country was postponed due to the threat by two deputy ministers of the government led by President Mahinda Rajapakse.

The said deputy ministers had threatened the Mahanayakes not to conduct the special Maha Sangha Convention as scheduled at Kandy Sri Dalada Maligawa on Thursday or to face dire consequences, claimed the UNP general secretary Tissa Attanayake Wednesday at a media briefing.

The Buddhist prelates Tuesday announced that they decided to call off the convention due to security reasons.

UNP general secretary claimed that Mahanayakes’ decision to postpone the convention came after meeting a government delegation led by a Buddhist monk that allegedly threatened the Mahanayakes not to go ahead with Maha Sangha Convention.