Dinesh Gunawardena

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Hon.
Dinesh Gunawardena
MP
දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන
தினேஷ் குணவர்தன
Dinesh Gunawardena.jpg
Minister of Education
Incumbent
Assumed office
16 August 2021
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Preceded byG. L. Peiris
Leader of the House
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 January 2020
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Preceded byLakshman Kiriella
Leader of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna
Incumbent
Assumed office
1983
Minister of Foreign Relations
In office
22 November 2019 – 16 August 2021
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Preceded byTilak Marapana
Succeeded byG. L. Peiris
Minister of Water Supply and Drainage
In office
April 2010 – 12 January 2015
Preceded byA. L. M. Athaullah
Succeeded byRauff Hakeem
Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply[a]
In office
April 2004 – April 2010
Preceded byGamini Atukorale
Succeeded byMahinda Rajapaksa
Minister of Transport[b]
In office
October 2000 – December 2001
Preceded bySrimani Athulathmudali
Succeeded byGamini Atukorale
Chief Government Whip
In office
17 June 2008 – 20 January 2015
Preceded byJeyaraj Fernandopulle
Succeeded byGayantha Karunathilaka
Deputy Minister of Education
In office
April 2004 – January 2007
Succeeded byM. Satchithanandan
Member of Parliament
for Colombo District
Incumbent
Assumed office
2000
In office
1989–1994
Member of Parliament
for Maharagama
In office
1983–1989
Preceded by
Personal details
Born (1949-03-02) 2 March 1949 (age 72)
CitizenshipSri Lanka
Political partyMahajana Eksath Peramuna
Other political
affiliations		Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance
Alma materRoyal College Colombo , University of Oregon
OccupationTrade unionist
EthnicitySinhalese
  1. ^ Minister of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development from January 2007 to April 2010.
  2. ^ Minister of Transport and Environment from September 2001 to December 2001.

Dinesh Chandra Rupasinghe Gunawardena (born 2 March 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician, Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister, and Leader of House Parliament. He is the current leader of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP). He was appointed as the Minister of Education on 16th of August 2021

Early life and family[]

Gunawardena was born 2 March 1949.[1][2] He is the son of Philip Gunawardena and Kusumasiri née Amarasinghe.[2][3] He was educated at Royal Primary School, Colombo and Royal College, Colombo.[4][5][6] After school he studied at the Netherlands School of Business (Nyenrode Business University), graduating with a diploma in business management.[2][3] He then joined the University of Oregon, graduating with a B.B.A. degree in international business.[2][3] Whilst in the USA he became involved in student activism, taking part in Anti-Vietnam War protests.[2]

Gunawardena married Ramani Wathsala Kotelawela.[7][8] They had one son (Yadamini) and one daughter (Sankapali).[3][8] Ramani died of undiagnosed hepatitis in the mid 1980s.[7]

Career[]

After university Gunawardena worked in New York City but in 1972 his father died and Gunawardena returned to Sri Lanka.[3] He was appointed to the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna's (MEP) central committee in August 1973.[2] He became general-secretary of the MEP in 1974.[2]

Gunawardena was the MEP's candidate in Avissawella at the 1977 parliamentary election but failed to get elected.[9] He was the MEP's candidate in Maharagama at the 1983 by-election. He won the election and entered Parliament.[10] Gunawardena contested the 1989 parliamentary election as one of the MEP's candidates in Colombo District. He was elected and re-entered Parliament.[11] He was one of the MEP's candidates in Colombo District at the 1994 parliamentary election but the MEP failed to win any seats in Parliament.

On 27 August 2000 the MEP joined the People's Alliance (PA).[12] Gunawardena contested the 2000 parliamentary election as one of the PA's candidates in Colombo District. He was elected and re-entered Parliament.[13] He was appointed Minister of Transport after the election.[14] He was given the additional portfolio of Environment in September 2001.[15] He was re-elected at the 2001 parliamentary election.[16] On 20 January 2004 the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) formed the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA).[17] The MEP joined the UPFA on 2 February 2004.[18] Gunawardena contested the 2004 parliamentary election as one of the UPFA's candidates in Colombo District. He was elected and re-entered Parliament.[19] He was appointed Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply and Deputy Minister of Education after the election.[20][21] In January 2007 his cabinet portfolio was changed to Minister of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development but he lost his deputy ministerial position.[22][23] He was appointed Chief Government Whip in June 2008.[24]

Gunawardena was re-elected at the 2010 parliamentary election.[25] He was appointed Minister of Water Supply and Drainage after the election.[26][27] He lost his cabinet position following the 2015 presidential election. He was re-elected at the 2015 parliamentary election.[28][29] In March 2017 he was suspended from parliamentary sittings for one week due to repeatedly disrupting proceedings.[30]

Electoral history[]

Electoral history of Dinesh Gunawardena
Election Constituency Party Alliance Votes Result
1977 parliamentary[9] Avissawella MEP 17,897 Not elected
1983 parliamentary by[10] Maharagama MEP 27,054 Elected
1989 parliamentary[11] Colombo District MEP 70,616 Elected
1994 parliamentary Colombo District MEP Not elected
2000 parliamentary[13] Colombo District MEP PA 114,795 Elected
2001 parliamentary[16] Colombo District MEP PA 87,615 Elected
2004 parliamentary[19] Colombo District MEP UPFA 82,626 Elected
2010 parliamentary[25] Colombo District MEP UPFA 116,860 Elected
2015 parliamentary[31] Colombo District MEP UPFA 124,451 Elected
2020 parliamentary[32] Colombo District MEP SLPFA 85,287 Elected

Further reading[]

  • D P Satish (6 January 2020). "Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Whose Parents Were Jailed During India's Freedom Struggle to Visit Delhi". News18.

References[]

  1. ^ "Directory of Members: Dinesh Gunawardena". Parliament of Sri Lanka.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g de Silva, W. P. P.; Ferdinando, T. C. L. 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka (PDF). Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. p. 233. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e Singaravelu, Ananda Nihal (2 March 2009). "Dinesh Turns Three-Score". Daily News (Sri Lanka).
  4. ^ Joseph, Dishan. "Loyal to Royal". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Royal College honours old Royalists in Parliament". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 11 February 2002.
  6. ^ "Ranil's third stint as PM". Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka). 11 January 2015. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016.
  7. ^ a b Peiris, Roshan (2 April 2000). "The Boralugoda 'cub'". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
  8. ^ a b "Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on 'Celeb Chat'". The Nation (Sri Lanka). 31 July 2011.
  9. ^ a b "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1977" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2011.
  10. ^ a b "Results of the Parliamentary By-Elections Held Between 1947-1988" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2009.
  11. ^ a b "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1989" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  12. ^ "PA aligns with hard-line Sinhala party". TamilNet. 27 August 2000.
  13. ^ a b "Parliamentary General Election 10.10.2000 - Trincomalee District". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012.
  14. ^ "SLMC, EPDP get plum portfolios". TamilNet. 19 October 2000.
  15. ^ Weerawarne, Sumadhu (15 September 2001). "18 member Cabinet sworn in yesterday". The Island (Sri Lanka).
  16. ^ a b "General Election 2001 Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2010.
  17. ^ "SLFP-JVP alliance signed in Colombo". TamilNet. 20 January 2004.
  18. ^ "Four Party Leaders sign pact with JVP-SLFP alliance". TamilNet. 2 February 2004.
  19. ^ a b "General Election 2004 Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2010.
  20. ^ "PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Appointments & c., by the President" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1335/24. 10 April 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 December 2014.
  21. ^ "The new UPFA Cabinet". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 11 April 2004.
  22. ^ "PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Appointments & c., by the President" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1482/08. 29 January 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2014.
  23. ^ "The New Cabinet". The Island (Sri Lanka). 29 January 2007.
  24. ^ "Chief Government Whips". Parliament of Sri Lanka.
  25. ^ a b "Parliamentary General Election - 2010 Colombo Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2010.
  26. ^ "PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Appointments & c., by the President" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1651/3. 26 April 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 May 2010.
  27. ^ "New Cabinet Ministers & Deputy Ministers". Daily News (Sri Lanka). 24 April 2010.
  28. ^ "PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Government Notifications PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ACT, No. 1 OF 1981" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1928/03. 19 August 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015.
  29. ^ "Ranil tops with over 500,000 votes in Colombo". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 19 August 2015.
  30. ^ "Dinesh Gunawardena suspended from Parliament for a week for unruly behavior". Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  31. ^ Jayakody, Pradeep (28 August 2015). "The Comparison of Preferential Votes in 2015 & 2010". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka).
  32. ^ "District Results - Colombo - Final". Parliamentary General Election 2020 Results. Adaderana. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
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