SF gets seat if Ketagoda resigns-Elec. Chief
14 February 2015 03:05 am
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Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya yesterday confirmed that General Sarath Fonseka was person entitled to be appointed as a Member of Parliament in the event national list member Jayantha Ketagoda resigned.
“Of course I will recommend General Fonseka to the Secretary General of Parliament as the proper person to replace parliamentarian Jayantha Ketagoda of the Democratic Party in case he relinquishes his parliamentary seat,” Mr. Deshapriya told Daily Mirror.
Mr. Ketagoda, a former Western Provincial Councillor replaced Democratic Party Leader General Sarath Fonseka in Parliament after he was convicted of trumped up charges that he had employed army personnel as his personal staff.
On January 21, President Maithripala Sirisena granted former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka a full presidential pardon and restored his civic rights, privileges and military decorations and thereby removing the obstacles he faced in re-entering Parliament.
On January 23, Mr. Deshapriya told journalists that General Fonseka’s voting rights would be restored after obtaining legal advice and added that former DP member and MP Jayantha Ketagoda had written to him asking whether General Fonseka could replace him in Parliament if he relinquished his seat.
On January 18, Mr. Ketagoda had said he would resign from Parliament to make way for General Fonseka to re-enter Parliament but since then he has opted to maintain a mysterious silence on this matter and had even not answered any calls directed to him.
(Sandun A Jayasekera)