Diana Gamage (born 18 December 1965) is a Sri Lankan politician and businesswoman. She was a former State Minister of Tourism and Member of Parliament.
Diana Gamage | |
|---|---|
| ඩයනා ගමගේ டயனா கமகே | |
| Member of Parliament for National List Voided | |
| In office 2020–2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Diana Samanmali Gamage 18 Dec 1965 |
| Citizenship | British |
| Political party | Samagi Jana Balawegaya till 2021 |
| Other political affiliations | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna From 2021 |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Member of the Parliament, Businesswoman |
Gamage was appointed to the Parliament of Sri Lanka from the National List of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya following the 2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election.[1] In 2021 she switched her political affiliation to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, then ruling party of Sri Lanka.[2]
Her right to serve in Parliament was challanegd by a Writ petition filed by the social media activist Oshala Herath who had unsuccesfully contented the 2020 parliamentary election from the United National Party, on the basis that Gamage held British citizenship. Herath had claimed that Gamage had gained British citizenship in 1998 and not gained dual Sri Lankan citizenship, while Gamage claimed that she had renused her British citizenship in 2014. The Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka set aside Herath's petition in 2023. On 8 May 2024, following an appeal to the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, the court set aside the judgement of the Court of Appeal and disqualified Gamage from holding a seat in Parliament on the basis that she did not hold a valid citizenship of the country, since she failed to submit a certificat of citizenship and found that she had returned to Sri Lanka on a British passport. The Samagi Jana Balawegaya party named Mujibur Rahman as her replacement.[3][4][5][6]
References edit
- ^ "Diana joins parliament from SJB National List!". Sri Lanka Mirror. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ "Controversial MP Diana Gamage Charged For Committing Multiple Offences And Poised To Lose Her Seat". Colombo Telegraph. 7 April 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ "Diana Gamage loses Parliamentary seat after SC ruling". Newswire. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ "Diana disqualified to be MP". Daily News. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ "she never bothered to renew SL visa after its lapse in 2015". The Morning. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ "No citizenship certificate issued to Diana Gamage - Counsel tells court". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 9 May 2024.