ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s opposition politician Mujibur Rahuman became the second legislator to be sworn in twice as an MP in the current parliament elected in 2020, the data showed.
Rahuman sworn in as Member of Parliament on Friday (10) to fill vacancy created by former State Tourism Minister Diana Gamage’s disqualification through a Supreme Court order.
Rahuman, a key member of Sri Lanka main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) resigned from parliament in January 2023 to contest the local government elections that was scheduled for March last year.
However, that election never took place with the government citing lack of finance after an unprecedented economic crisis.
Rahuman was elected in Colombo district when he entered the parliament in 2020. However, his second entry is through the national list.
Already ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party’s actor-turned politician Jayantha Ketagoda also has sworn in twice in the current parliament.
Ketagoda, who entered the parliament through national list in 2020, resigned from the parliament in July 2021 to facilitate SLPP’s strategist Basil Rajapaksa’s parliament entry before being appointed as the finance minister.
However, he was sworn in back as a national list MP two moths later following the resignation of then State Minister for Money and Capital Markets Ajith Nivard Cabraal who later became the Central Bank Governor.
Unlike Ketagoda, Rahuman had to wait 16 months for his second swearing in before the parliament speaker. (Colombo/May 10/2024)