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Now a UPFA-JHU deal on the cards
By Santhush Fernando
The Jathika Hela Urumaya has decided to sign a memorandum of understanding with UPFA to give it conditional support, its spokesman Ven. Athureliye Rathana Thera said. He said the Supreme Sangha Council had taken this decision and the details of the MoU were being finalised.

Other JHU sources said the party did not want to allow room for any group to topple the government and precipitate another general election. They said the manifesto of the UPFA was in line with the JHU policy. They said the JHU would even support the government's budget if the main proposals were drawn up in consultation with the JHU.

The Sunday Times learns Ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Sarath Amunugama and Jeyaraj Fernandopulle are brokering the deal between the JHU and the UPFA. Government sources said the Ministry of Buddhasasana and the post of Deputy Chairman of Committees might be offered to the JHU if the deal was worked out.

For the past few months, the UPFA and the JHU had been hitting out at each other, especially after two monks elected on the JHU ticket had crossed to the UPFA under mysterious circumstances. The Sunday Times learns that the proposed MoU would involve a compromise on these two monks.

The JHU sources also said that the party would not budge on its strong opposition to the ISGA and observers said this might hinder any deal because of President Chandrika Kumaratunga's latest stand on this issue.

It is reported that an influential businessman has been involved in preparing the groundwork for the JHU-UPFA deal. With the support of the JHU MPs, the government would have a working majority in parliament.

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