Thursday, January 19, 2012

Mervyn vs. Kelaniya PS: A MERV’ WIN IN DOUBT

As Minister Silva continues to face a spate of allegations mounted by his former acolytes, some of his closest friends have reportedly ditched him by fleeing overseas. A few others have got caught to the white van menace and among them have been two of his former coordinators Amal Rodrigo and Donald Ranjith.
These two have been allegedly released only after vital information had been obtained from them regards the nefarious activities conducted by the minister along with his son Malaka Silva.
It is alleged that both Amal Rodrigo and Donald Ranjith are currently in Singapore. Meanwhile, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has reportedly told the controversial minister that he does not wish to personally interfere with issues concerning the Kelaniya electorate.

The president, according to informed sources, has advised the minister to sort out his issues with the party disciplinary committee. Minister Mervyn Silva behaved like a king in Kelaniya due primarily to the backing he received from the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha and the Peliyagoda MC. But with those very same persons now giving him the cold shoulder, the minister is currently at political crossroads.

However, keeping true to his image of being a controversial character, the minister is yet determined to suppress all those opposing him.That which transpires in this Kelaniya drama between its protagonists will be keenly awaited by the people of the country in the coming days, weeks and months. Our attempt to get a comment from Minister Mervyn Silva failed.

The thirteen Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha members who have ganged up against Minister of Public Relations and Public Affairs Mervyn Silva are planning to oust him and bring in a new face as the UPFA chief organizer of Kelaniya informed political sources told LAKBIMAnEWS.
It is said that the 13 Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha members have are joined by three members from the Peliyagoda Municipal Council.

These 16 members oppose any move by the government to retain the controversial minister as its main organizer for Kelaniya.

They have already warned the SLFP General Secretary and Minister Maithripala Sirisena that any measure to retain Silva in his current post would prompt them to resign.

Replacement from the WPC

According to reliable sources these 16 individuals are working overtime to replace the controversial minister with a Western Provincial Councillor. It is also said that he himself has set in motion a subtle scheme to claim the post with the backing rendered by the sixteen. Meanwhile, those supporting Minister Silva are said to have already forwarded a complaint to the Bribery Commission against the chairman of the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha and his fellow rebels.
When contacted, Director General of the Bribery Commission Lakshmi Jayawickrema told LAKBIMAnEWS, that they have decided to inquire into the complaint lodged by supporters of Minister Silva.

Likewise, it is reliably understood that the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha chairman and his rebels are also planning to lodge a similar complaint against the said minister at the Bribery Commission.


In the meantime, it has also been revealed that the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha chairman and his rebels, who went before the SLFP disciplinary committee, have lodged 13 complaints against Minister of Public Affairs and Public Relations Mervyn Silva.

When contacted SLFP General Secretary and Minister of Health Maithripala Sirisena told this newspaper that the spate of complaints lodged by the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha chairman against the minister will be promptly inquired into and if found guilty, strict action will be taken against the minister concerned.

The SLFP general secretary has also told the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha rebels that if they are not content with the measures being taken by the party as a whole, they could take their case to such institutions as the courts, the police or the Bribery Commission.
Gayan Kumara Weerasingha
LB