Former Minister Basil Rajapaksa, who was acquitted from the famous Divineguma case by the Colombo High Court yesterday, said that the President and the Prime Minister had invited him to enter Parliament as a national list MP.

“I don’t like to be in Parliament. But, whether I enter parliament or not, I will do the needful to strengthen the country’s economy,” Rajapaksa who is also the National Organizer of the SLPP told reporters after his acquittal from the case.

“If there is a need to come to Parliament I will not shy away from that. But I don’t see such a need at present,” he added.

It is widely speculated that Rajapaksa is likely to enter Parliament and take up a Cabinet position overlooking economic development — a function that is currently held by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

There is a serious contention within the ruling party over Rajapaksa’s entry into Parliament. This is partly due to the fact that he is a dual citizen of Sri Lanka and the United States. Even when the previous government banned dual citizens from entering Parliament, Basil Rajapaksa refused to renounce his US citizenship.

It is a known fact that ultra-nationalist elements within the government have strained relations with Basil Rajapaksa.