Geetha can’t serve as MP – AG informs court
March 14, 2017 07:40 pm
The Attorney General today informed the Court of Appeal that Geethah Kumarasinghe cannot continue to serve as a Member of Parliament (MP) as she has failed to revoke her citizenship in Switzerland.
Appearing on behalf of the AG, the Deputy Solicitor General Janak de Silva informed the court that according to section 20 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, Article 91(1)(d)(xiii), a citizen of Sri Lanka who is also a citizen of any other country shall not be qualified to be elected as a Member of Parliament or to sit and vote in Parliament.
As the defendant, Geetha Kumarasinghe, has not notified the court with regard to revoking her citizenship in Switzerland as of yet, she cannot continue to serve as a Sri Lankan Parliamentarian, he informed the court.
The petition filed by a group of residents of Galle, challenging Kumarasinghe’s election to Parliament from the district at the last general election, was taken up before a judge bench comprising Appeals Court chairman Vijith Malalgoda and judge Preethi Padman Surasena.
The Court of Appeal announced that the verdict in the case would be delivered on May 5 and called on both parties to make written submissions before that date.
