Geetha’s MP seat abolished, Parliament informs Deshapriya
May 9, 2017 09:46 am
The Secretary General of Parliament has informed the Elections Commission that the MP seat of Geetha Kumarasinghe has fallen vacant due to the Appeal Court decision.
Last week, the Court of Appeal disqualified Kumarasinghe from holding an MP seat due to her dual citizenship status. The veteran actress holds citizenship in Sri Lanka and Switzerland.
The Parliament Secretary General had sought the Attorney General’s advice on the matter while he had been advised to implement the court’s decision.
Therefore the Chairman of the Elections Commission, Mahinda Deshapriya, has been informed that Galle District UPFA MP Geetha Kumarasinghe’s seat in Parliament has fallen vacant.
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.
Meanwhile Kumarasinghe has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the Appeal Court, her lawyer told Ada Derana.
