Rajapakse sibling to be appointed national list MP

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 March 2007, 23:39 GMT]
Basil Rajapakse, senior advisor to, and brother of, Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse, is to accept the position as a National List Member of Parliament next Tuesday, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) sources said Friday. Secretary of SLFP and Minister Maithripala Srisena has forwarded a letter to the Secretary General of Sri Lanka Parliament Ms Priyani Wijesekera to appoint Basil Rajapakse as an MP, according to parliamentary sources.

Mr Mervyn Silva is to relinquished his position as Deputy Minister and National List Member of Parliament to pave way for the Rajapakse sibling to beome an MP representing SLFP.

Mr Mervyn Silva is the current Deputy Labor Minister.

Mr. Mervyn Silva and his supporters were accused in January of this year attacking a peace rally. He also courted controversy and triggered protests during Kumaratunge governement in August 1995 for his racial slurs directed at the plantation Tamils.

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