COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Members of Sri Lanka's Parliament have questioned whether Mahinda Rajapaksa, who recently quit as Prime Minister, can hold his seat after earlier relinquishing membership in the political party that he represented in the last election.
Ruling United National Front coalition lawmaker Lakshman Kiriella said in Parliament on Tuesday that Rajapaksa should lose his seat.
Rajapaksa dropped his former party membership last month to represent the Sri Lanka People's Front, the party he formed and served as shadow leader. He took the step after President Maithripala Sirisena dissolved Parliament and called for fresh elections, aiming to form a base independent of Sirisena.
However, the Supreme Court restored the same Parliament, calling its dissolution illegal. Rajapaksa resigned Saturday. Sirisena restored Ranil Wickremesinghe, the man he ousted in October, as Prime Minister.
