Jan 22, Colombo: Sri Lankan President has reportedly received two letters praising the removal of the controversial Minister of Public Relations Mervyn Silva from the post of electoral organizer for the Kelaniya electorate and urging the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) leadership to appoint Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa as the new electoral organizer.

The letters have also been sent to the SLFP General Secretary and Minister Rajapaksa.

One of the letters is signed by 38 Buddhist monks in the electorate while the other letter is signed by 15 members of the Kelaniya and Peliyagoda local governments including the Chairman of Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha.

The SLFP decided to remove Minister Silva from the electoral organizer post following the arrest of two of his coordinating secretaries for the murder of SLFP councilor of the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha Hasitha Madawala.

Local media reported that Minister Silva, despite his removal, has recently toured in the electorate and expressed views that he will be reinstated as the electoral organizer.