Basil Rajapaksa resigns as National List MP

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National list MP Basil Rajapaksa resigned from his Parliamentary seat today (June 09).

He is the Founder of the SLPP.

Delivering a special statement at a media briefing convened in Colombo today (June 09), the former finance minister said he has tendered his letter of resignation to the Secretary-General of Parliament Dammika Dassanayake.

However, Rajapaksa revealed that he does not intend to withdraw from politics. Pointing out that state governance and politics are two separate entities, the former minister said would not be involved in state governance hereafter.

Rajapaksa said his resignation was a means of bringing in a suitable individual to Parliament under the SLPP seat.

Several names have come to the fray to fill the National List seat of the SLPP, including businessman Dhammika Perera.

SLPP stalwart Basil Rajapaksa who resigned from his parliamentary seat said he only initiated engagement with the IMF but there was another group in the government against it at that time.

He said the government should go for an IMF programme on a sound footing.

He said he is opposed to the 21st  Amendment to the constitution.

He said he is against presidential powers being pruned to be vested with a prime minister not elected by people and said such constitutional powers should be done with public management.