Also, many ruling party MPs are paid members of the government.

A crisis followed with the party MPs refusing to take their seats.

The revelation comes following mounting criticism of his leadership from party MPs.

Two independent or local party MPs were elected in the 2005 election:

On 15 December four party MPs declared that they would oppose him in a leadership ballot the next day.

While the run of poor Conservative results led to informal talk among party MPs and ministers, no such conspiracy existed.

BNP leaders would handle it for areas that did not have party MPs at the time.

Consequently, 10 party MPs, including Weerawansa, have decided to function as an independent group in the Parliament.

Day's leadership of the Canadian Alliance became increasingly troubled throughout the summer of 2001, as several party MPs called for his resignation.

In the 1993 General Elections he was re-elected to his seat as a Democratic Party MP.