Court judgment -- Geetha not entitled in holding position of Member of Parliament
Court of Appeal has mentioned that Galle District Member of Parliament from United People's Front Alliance Mrs. Geetha Kumarasingha is not entitled to hold the position of Member of Parliament. What affected the judgment is the fact that Mrs. Geetha Kumarasingha has presented herself for the General Election in Sri Lanka while still holding citizenship in
Switzerland with dual citizenship.4 residents of Galle District inclusive of K.W. Buvaneka and J.K. Amarawardena had forwarded a petition in March 2015 to the effect that she has no relevant requirements to function as a Member of Parliament after being elected to parliament.
The petition was examined in the presence of Chairperson of Appeal Courts Vijith K. Malalgoda and Judge Preethi Padman Surasena and it was exposed that she had come forward for Sri Lankan elections while still holding citizenship in Switzerland. The respondents in the case have been named as the Immigration and Emigration Controller, Chief Secretary of UPFA and Chief Secretary of Parliament who were named apart from Geetha Kumarasingha and she has made a writ in her petition asking that her position of MP be invalidated. Therefore, the Court of Appeal today (03) announced across a writ that Geetha Kumarasingha is not entitled to function as a Member of Parliament.
In accordance with this order the Election Department could notify the parliament in future about the decision of nullifying her post of MP. Whatever it is, voicing her idea about this she had said "As a woman this is a big injustice. I came into parliament on a pure vote. I will be going to Supreme Courts against this judgment. Then my position of Member of Parliament cannot be invalidated. ... that is until the judgment is over. What I ask from my dear public is not to panic ... but to wait patiently. I have still another chance. In any case if I only had joined this government there won't be any problem like this no".