Mahinda Samarasinghe resigns as MP; heads to Washington as Ambassador

Kalutara District MP Mahinda Samarasinghe yesterday resigned from his seat in Parliament to take up the post of Ambassador to Washington.

Lalith Warnakumara, who got the next highest number of preferential votes in the district, will fill the vacancy created by his resignation.

The Secretary General of Parliament informed the Chairman of the Election Commission that Samarasinghe has resigned from his post.

The notice was given by the SG of Parliament to the Chairman of the Election Commission in terms of Section 64 (1) of the Parliamentary Elections Act No. 1 of 1981. In his farewell speech in Parliament, Samarasinghe thanked President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for reposing his trust and confidence by appointing him Ambassador to the major global political and economic power – the US – at a critical juncture.

He will be concurrently accredited to Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago.

Prior to his entry into politics, Samarasinghe served as First Secretary in the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Canberra and as Counsellor in the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva.