President’s renunciation of US Citizenship officially confirmed

The name of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appeared in the latest Quarterly Publication of the United States Federal Register of Individuals Who Have Chosen to Expatriate.

The list containing the names of the individuals who have renounced their citizenship was published in the official website of the US Federal Register yesterday.

The US citizenship issue of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa came under scrutiny last year, especially in the months leading to the Presidential Election in November, as Sri Lanka’s Constitution and laws do not allow dual citizens or non-citizens to contest national elections or hold public office. Several law suits were filed against his candidature on this basis. These cases were dismissed, allowing him to contest the Presidential Election.   

Political opponents, certain media reports and social media posts however alleged that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had not successfully renounced his US citizenship since his name was not listed in the US Federal Register at the time.

The US Embassy in Sri Lanka, speaking on the matter, had previously stated that renunciation of US citizenship by an individual might take several months to be published in the Federal Register, which is the official Daily Journal of the United States Government.

Accordingly, this latest publication proves that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is no longer a citizen of the United States and does not hold dual citizenship. The full list of names of persons who have thus renounced US Citizenship can be accessed from the website https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/05/08/2020-09814/quarterly-publication-of-individuals-who-have-chosen-to-expatriate-as-required-by-section-6039g.

The list is a Quarterly Publication of [names of] Individuals, Who Have Chosen To Expatriate. This notice is provided in accordance with IRC section 6039G of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) of 1996, as amended. This listing contains the name of each individual losing United States citizenship (within the meaning of section 877(a) or 877A) with respect to whom the Secretary received information during the quarter ending March 31, 2020. For purposes of this listing, long-term residents, as defined in section 877(e)(2), are treated as if they were citizens of the United States who lost citizenship.