{"id":115829,"date":"2013-11-26T20:35:47","date_gmt":"2013-11-26T15:05:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=115829"},"modified":"2013-12-07T00:01:26","modified_gmt":"2013-12-06T18:31:26","slug":"mervyn-breaks-into-song-about-president-rajapaksa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/mervyn-breaks-into-song-about-president-rajapaksa\/","title":{"rendered":"Mervyn Breaks Into Song About President Rajapaksa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Minister Mervyn Silva<\/span><\/a> whose ties to the ruling Rajapaksa regime were recently restored, literally sang the praises of President Mahinda Rajapaksa<\/span><\/a> in Parliament during the budget debates today.<\/p>\n

\"Mervyn<\/a>

Mervyn Silva<\/p><\/div>\n

The Minister broke into song twice \u2013 once about SLFP MP and President Rajapaksa\u2019s father D.A. Rajapaksa and again in adoration of the current head of state, during House sittings today.<\/p>\n

Addressing the Chair, Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa<\/span><\/a>, Minister Silva said that if he mentions the things he said to D.A. Rajapaksa in Parliament today, clad in a pair of shorts, the House would accuse him of seeking a return to a feudal system.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will protect President Mahinda Rajapaksa like a precious jem,\u201d the Minister sang to the amusement of the members.<\/p>\n

It was alleged recently that Minister Mervyn\u2019s son Malaka<\/span><\/a> had been brutally assaulted by Presidential Security Division officials inside the ODEL car park.<\/p>\n

The Minister went to several Western diplomatic missions in Colombo after the assault, in an attempt to seek asylum for his son, claiming his life was under threat from the ruling regime.<\/p>\n

In a strange twist, the Bribery Commission of Sri Lanka also filed action against Silva not long after the attack on Malaka Silva. It is the first time the Commission has filed action in court against an incumbent minister in the Government, making it clear that the move had been sanctioned by senior officials in the ruling regime.<\/p>\n

The Bribery Commission had summoned Minister Silva to make a statement over his assets. The complaint relates to the luxury cars owned by the Minister\u2019s son Malaka and claims that neither the Minister nor his family possess the funds to make the high end purchases. The hearing was supposed to take place in August but has since been postponed. It is not clear what created the rift between the Rajapaksa regime and Mervyn Silva.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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