Rahuman quits parliament to run for Mayor of Colombo

SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman Friday announced his resignation from parliament to contest the local government elections scheduled for March.The MP told parliament that he would be stepping down to run for the Colombo Municipal Council for the position of Mayor, as decided by the SJB’s working committee.

“I ask this government that this democratic election and the country’s democratic rights be protected. People’s right to vote must be protected,” he said.

Rahuman urged the government to facilitate the timely conduct of the polls and allow the Election Commission to carry out its mandate.In the present climate of uncertainty of whether or not the local elections would be held at all, political circles said that Rahuman could be nominated for the place he vacated if there are no election,

“In fact, this could be done if he loses or doesn’t become Mayor,” he said.

Meanwhile, Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dassanayake said that he had received Rahuman’s resignation and thereafter informed Chairman of the Elections Commission Nimal Punchihewa that Rahuman’s seat in the House stands vacant as per the provisions of the Section 64 (1) of the Parliamentary Elections Act No 1 of 1981.

A senior parliamentary official said that Rahuman was followed by former MPs A H M Fowzi and Hirunika Premachandra in the SJB’s list of preferential votes at the 2020 parliamentary polls. If the elections for the local councils would not be held or even if Rahuman loses in the fray, his party’s General Secretary has the powers to nominate him again to Parliament, the senior official said.