Anura Bandaranaike
Kiri Banda Ratnayake | |
---|---|
Succeeded by | Joseph Michael Perera |
8th Leader of the Opposition | |
In office 8 November 1983 – 20 December 1988 | |
President | J. R. Jayewardene |
Prime Minister | Ranasinghe Premadasa |
Preceded by | A. Amirthalingam |
Succeeded by | Sirimavo Bandaranaike |
Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
In office August 2005 – 23 November 2005 | |
President | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
Prime Minister | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
Preceded by | Lakshman Kadirgamar |
Succeeded by | Mangala Samaraweera |
Member of Parliament for Gampaha Electoral District | |
In office 1989–2008 | |
Majority | 198,444 Preferential Votes |
Member of Parliament for Nuwara Eliya-Maskeliya | |
In office 21 July 1977 – 15 February 1989 | |
Preceded by | Constituency established |
Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
Personal details | |
Born | 15 February 1949 Tintagel, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
Died | 16 March 2008 Visumpaya, Colombo, Sri Lanka | (aged 59)
Political party | Sri Lanka Freedom Party |
Other political affiliations | United National Party |
Alma mater | University of London, Royal College Colombo |
Occupation | Politician |
Anura Priyadarshi Solomon Dias Bandaranaike (15 February 1949 – 16 March 2008) was a
Early life and family
Born on February 15, 1949, at
Education
Bandaranaike completed his primary education at Royal Preparatory School and secondary education at the Royal College, Colombo where his contemporaries included Ranil Wickremesinghe and Dinesh Gunawardena. He then read Ancient and Modern History at the University of London, graduating with a BA Honours in 1973.[2][1]
Early political career
Bandaranaike returned to Sri Lanka in 1974, when his mother was serving her second term as prime minister. He soon became active in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, having been appointed leader of its Youth Wing and thereafter Director of the National Youth Services Council. He contested the 1977 general election from the Maskeliya multi-seat constituency from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Though the Sri Lanka Freedom Party faced a crushing defeat in the election, Bandaranaike was elected to parliament. He would remain a member of parliament till his death.[1] Following the defeat of Sri Lanka Freedom Party government in July 1977, Bandaranaike sat in the opposition in parliament with his mother. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party became a minority in the opposition and A. Amirthalingam of the Tamil United Liberation Front became the leader of the opposition.[1]
In October 1980, following an investigation by a
Opposition leader
With this backdrop, Anura Bandaranaike became the leader of the opposition in November 1983, when the incumbent Amirthalingam boycotted parliament and lost his seat in October 1983 while refusing swear an oath unconditionally renouncing support for a separate state. Bandaranaike served as leader of the opposition till 1988, holding a position once held by his father and mother before him.[1]
Rift within the party
He contested the 1989 general election from the Gampaha Electoral District, which was the traditional base of the Bandaranaike family. Elected to parliament with preferential votes over one hundred thousand, he once again sat in the opposition with his mother who had regained her civic rights and became the leader of the opposition having been elected to parliament. He soon fell out with his mother and was suspended from the family party by Sirimavo Bandaranaike.[3] The rift was aggravated by the return to the party of his sister Chandrika Kumaratunga who had left the family party in 1984 to join the Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya formed by her husband Vijaya Kumaratunga. She then went into exile in London following Kumaratunga's assassination.[1]
United National Party
He crossed over to ruling
Speaker of the Parliament
He was uncontestedly elected as Speaker of the 11th Parliament and served from 18 October 2000 to 10 October 2001, when parliament was dissolved and fresh elections called.[1]
Return to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
He rejoined SLFP in 2001 to contest the elections in December that year, although the SLFP with its coalition faced a massive defeat Bandaranaike was elected to Parliament. When the SLFP led alliance of
Death
Bandaranaike died on 16 March 2008 at Visumpaya, his official residence in Colombo, following a period of prolonged illness due to cancer. He had been diagnosed with cancer a few years before his death and had been hospitalized for several months. A few weeks prior to his death, he had taken three months leave from parliament.[7]
Further reading
- Jayaram, P. (1994-01-15). "Bandaranaike family splits as Anura Bandaranaike joins government". India Today.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Jeyaraj, D.B.S. "Crown Prince of Sri Lankan Politics But never crowned King". Financial Times. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ "MR. ANURA BANDARANAIKE (AUGUST – NOVEMBER,2005)". mfa.gov.lk. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ a b c Shamindra Fernando.Close friend's reminisce how he missed the bus.Anura's dropped catches.The Island.Available online.
- ^ "FM chosen from Sri Lankan dynasty". BBC News. 22 August 2005.
- ^ "Sri Lanka ruling party sparks fly". BBC News. 13 September 2005.
- ^ "Anura: Boycott Burmese products". BBC News. 30 September 2007.
- Outlook India. 16 March 2008 – via PTI.