PAFFREL Requests Speaker to Verify Citizenship Status of All MPs

The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) has requested Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to verify the citizenship status of all parliamentarians.

 In a letter to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi has called on the Speaker to obtain an affidavit from each member of parliament, affirming that he/she has no status of citizenship in another country.

 The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections notes that, following the court ruling on Geetha Kumarasinghe, a large scale social discussion and equally  serious suspicions have emerged among the public about the citizenship of other members of parliament.

 The letter notes that the Controller of Immigration and Emigration had revealed to PAFFREL that no other member of the present parliament, excluding Geetha Kumarasinghe, had dual citizenship.

 The letter concludes by calling on Speaker to obtain affidavits in order to dispel social suspicion and to protect the honour and dignity of all members of parliament.