Fmr. MP Ven. Baddegama Samitha Thera passes away

THEY TOO SUCCUMBED TO COVID-19 

By Yohan Perera 

Sri Lanka’s first Buddhist monk to be elected to Parliament, Venerable Baddegama Samitha Thera passed away at the age of 68 yesterday morning, while receiving treatment for COVID-19 at a private hospital in Matara since Saturday night. 

According to hospital sources, the monk had run into complications after contracting pneumonia as a result of COVID-19. 

Venerable Thera who was a member of Lanka Sama Samaja Party contested the general election of 2001 under 
People’s Alliance (PA) and thus became Sri Lanka’s first Buddhist monk to enter Parliament.  He has later contested the provincial council elections in 2014 and became a member of the Southern Provincial council during that year.