Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) presidential candidate, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been urged to refute allegations leveled against him on the violation of several laws of the land and co-operate fully with investigations being carried out.
The Center for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) has also called on the Election Commission (EC) to conduct a prompt and impartial investigation into allegations against Rajapaksa.
The CMEV in a statement said that its attention has been drawn to a complaint made regarding Rajapaksa.
According to the complaint made to the Elections Commission of Sri Lanka, Rajapaksa’s name had been included in the annual electoral list used for the 2005 Presidential Election and he had allegedly cast his vote in the said election, at a time when he was not a Sri Lankan citizen.
The CMEV states that in terms of Article 89(a) of the Sri Lankan Constitution, a person who is not a Sri Lankan citizen is not entitled to vote at a Presidential Election, General Election or at a referendum. Accordingly, voting in such a situation is an offense and is punishable in terms of the Presidential Elections Act No. 15 of 1981.
Rajapaksa had reportedly obtained his US citizenship in 2003 and had arrived in Sri Lanka on the 04th of September 2005 on a tourist visa and had campaigned/assisted the election campaign of Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2005. This, it is alleged, is an offense in terms of section 45(1) (a) of the Immigrants and Emigrants Act no 20 of 1948.
The CMEV observes that it is important that Rajapaksa who aspires to be the seventh executive President of Sri Lanka to refute these allegations and co-operate fully with all investigations.
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