Geetha not to be unseated until final determination of case - SC

The Supreme Court has extended the suspension of Appeal Court judgement on MP Geetha Kumarasinghe’s MP post until final determination of the case.

The Supreme Court has too decided to go ahead with the petition filed by Kumarasinghe, Ada Derana reporter said.

The Deputy Solicitor General has said, according to information received by the Immigration and Emigration Department the MP still holds the citizenship of Switzerland.

However, the Counsel who appeared on behalf of Kumarasinghe has argued that the Court has no authority to interfere in and influence the internal affairs of the Parliament, and also requested to revoke the verdict of the Court of Appeal on his client. The Counsel said that Kumarasinghe was granted Swedish citizenship upon her marriage, not something she deliberately acquired.

The Supreme Court had earlier suspended the Appeal Court’s judgment regarding MP Geetha Kumarasinghe’s eligibility to hold a seat in parliament until today. The Court of Appeal on May 03 disqualified Kumarasinghe from holding a seat in Parliament due to her dual citizenship status. This came following a petition filed by four individuals from Galle in March 2015.

The Attorney General too informed the Court that Kumarasinghe cannot continue to serve as a Member of Parliament (MP) as she has failed to revoke her citizenship in Switzerland.

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.