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Speaker says he cannot identify dual-citizen MPs

03 Nov 2022

  • Has received no complaints from MPs yet
  • Wimal recommends AKD to expose duality  
BY Mirudhula Thambiah Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana noted yesterday (2) that he is unable to take any legal action to ascertain the citizenship status of MPs and that any party interested in doing so will have to take legal action to sort out the matter.  Speaking to The Morning yesterday Abeywardana also said that none of the MPs have made any complaints with regard to the citizenship status of their peers, reiterating that he cannot take any legal action in this regard.  “There is no legal action that I can take. I think that if anybody is interested, they have to go to the courts; that’s all.” Meanwhile, at a media briefing, when a question was posed to “independent” MP Wimal Weerawansa regarding MPs with dual citizenship, he claimed that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake possesses a special ability to inquire into such issues and, therefore, he should be tasked with revealing the particulars in those files.  “If the responsibility is given to him, it would be successful,” Weerawansa commented.  However, it was not clear whether Weerawansa said this in jest or sincerely, as these two individuals have been at loggerheads both politically and on a personal level ever since Weerawansa’s exit from the JVP in the mid 2000s. Meanwhile, Department of Immigration and Emigration Controller Gen. Harsha Illukpitiya said on Monday (31 October) that he will utilise the legally recommended time when responding to the Right to Information (RTI) requests received with regard to the citizenship status of MPs. Speaking to The Morning, Illukpitiya confirmed that a few RTI requests have been received in regard to MPs’ citizenship status recently and added that he would take time to reply to these requests in line with the law.  “There have been a few RTI requests recently. I believe that a few of them are concerning MPs. We have received them, but have not replied to anyone yet. We are allocated a certain amount of time (to respond), so we will take the time and do it. There is a legally recommended period of time to reply. I will utilise that time,” he said.  When queried regarding whether there are investigations being launched by the department in regard to the citizenship status of MPs, he replied: “No. This is false news.” Meanwhile, speaking to the media on 30 October, “independent” MP Dullas Alahapperuma, commenting on the dual citizenship issue, requested Speaker Abeywardana to look into the matter and reveal the identities of dual citizen MPs. “It is the responsibility of the Speaker to look into this matter and reveal the truth to the country. It is a responsibility that cannot be neglected. Not only the Speaker, the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, and if not, the Attorney General should provide their advice in this regard. The Speaker should inform the country, as, after the adoption of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, it becomes the fundamental law of the country,” he said. Alahapperuma further said: “If someone attempts to evade the law and remain in Parliament, we have to denounce them regardless of which party they belong to. The politicians of this country think that rather than withdrawing their citizenship, it is easier to amend the Constitution. Therefore, I tell the Speaker that it is not a difficult task and to reveal the truth in this regard to the country in the upcoming weeks.” Last week, polls monitor, the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi, speaking to The Morning, said that his organisation had written to the Speaker to take action with regard to MPs holding dual citizenship and had also made an RTI request to the Department of Immigration and Emigration to identify the MPs who are dual citizens. Once the information regarding MPs with dual citizenship is obtained he said that this information will be publicised with the intent of enforcing the relevant MPs’ resignation, failing which legal action will be taken.   


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