Is Gotabaya Rajapaksa a US asset?- Harin Fernando

COLOMBO(News 1st) - Minister Harin Fernando convened a media briefing to respond to certain statements made regarding the revelation he made on the citizenship of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Harin Fernando, Minister of Sports reflecting on the president's counsel Ali Sabry statement that Gotabaya Rajapaksa's wife's citizenship irrelevant as she is not the person who is running for the presidency, the minister stated that it proves that Gotabaya Rajapaksa's wife is still a US citizen and she does not have the right to vote. The Minister questioned why the people of this country should vote for an American citizen when his own wife and son cannot vote for him? He went on to note that the opposition camp initially claimed that Gotabaya Rajapaksa's name would appear in the July list and went onto state that it would be in the next list each time a new list of persons who renounced US citizenship was announced.  Min. Fernando noted that the final list for this year had been already released without his name. Minister questioned whether Gotabaya Rajapaksa is special not to be included in the list and whether he is an asset of the US? He further questioned why the US Embassy is silent on the matter. "Is the American embassy using Gotabaya Rajapaksa to sign the SOFA agreement? Although they scold us it was Mahinda Rajapaksa who initially presented the MCC agreement to the cabinet, not us. Is Gotabaya Rajapaksa an American agent to sign the MCC?" He questioned. Harin Fernando added that his post was removed from Facebook, following their complaint. He questioned the extent of the opposition's influence and their ties with the US if they were able to do something significant as that, without being in power. The Minister reiterated the fact that they would like Gotabaya Rajapaksa to contest at the election because he is not a challenge. The Minister stated that Gotabaya Rajapaksa is merely following his brother.