Sri Lanka’s former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa has decided to step down from his parliamentary seat, as the 21st Amendment to the Constitution that seeks to bar dual citizens from holding any top public office is ready to be tabled in Parliament, according to media reports on Wednesday. Basil Rajapaksa, the younger brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, is a dual American and Sri Lankan citizen and the 21st Amendment (21A) seeks to bar dual citizens from holding parliamentary seats or contesting future elections.
Ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party (SLPP) MP Basil Rajapaksa has decided to step down from his parliamentary seat by Thursday, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported. Basil Rajapaksa, 71, has informed his party members that he would continue to be active in party politics but would not hold his parliamentary seat, the report said. Basil Rajapaksa was sacked by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on April 4 as the country’s economic crisis worsened.
He was accused of being partially responsible for the economic crisis in the country. The 21st Amendment is expected to annul the 20A to the Constitution, which gives unfettered powers to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after abolishing the 19th Amendment that will strengthen Parliament. The proposal met with Opposition from the loyalists of the Rajapaksa family, particularly from the supporters of Basil Rajapaksa.
On Monday, Sri Lanka’s Cabinet deferred by a week the approval of the proposed 21st Amendment to empower Parliament over the executive president, amidst stiff resistance from some members of the ruling party. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last week batted for the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, saying it will curb the president’s unlimited powers while enhancing the role of Parliament in governing the debt-ridden country which is also facing an unprecedented political turmoil.
The powerful Rajapaksa family tightened their grip on power after their massive victory in the general elections in August 2020, which allowed them to amend the Constitution to restore presidential powers and install close family members in key positions. Sri Lanka has been grappling with unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948. Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has created political unrest with protesters demanding President Rajapaksa’s resignation.
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