16.3.2008
Sunil C. Perera in Colombo
Leading
Parliamentarian Anura Solomon Dias Bandaranaike passed
away a short while ago after a prolonged illeness. He
died of heart attack on Sunday. His body is still laying
at his Colombo's residence [Visumpaya ].Meanwhile President
Mahindha Rajapaksha has instructed his officials to make
arrangements for late Parliamentarian's final rites.He
was former Parliament Speaker and the younger brother
of Sri Lanka's former President Chandrika Bandaranaike
Kumaratunga.
Anura Priyadarshi Solomon Dias Bandaranaike (born February
15, 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician, last served as the
minister of national heritage in the government of President
Mahinda Rajapakse.
He
has previously served as Speaker of the 11th Parliament,
which lasted from 2000 to 2001, and as minister of several
cabinet departments, including as minister of tourism
from April 2004 to January 2007 and as Foreign Minister
briefly in 2005. He is the son of former Prime Ministers
Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike and Sirimavo Ratwatte
Dias Bandaranaike and the brother of former President
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Sunethra Bandaranaike,
philanthropist.
His
family has a long history in the socio-political arena
of the country. His grandfather, Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranike
was the Maha Mudaliyar, (the chief native interpreter
and advisor to the Governor) during British colonial rule.
The Bandaranaikes are also closely related to the Obeyesekere
family which remained faithful supporters of British Colonial
rule. Because of these family connections, Bandaranaike
as he is known among the voters of Gampaha district, is
considered to be a relatively slow-moving politician who
missed the chance of becoming the President of Sri Lanka
on several occasions, as his sister Chandrika received
the most support from their mother. He left his family's
party in 1993 when his sister came back from London and
did not join back until 2001.
Bandaranaike
was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka and attended Royal College,
Colombo. He then proceeded to London, U.K. to read for
a degree but returned to enter politics without having
obtained a degree. His father Solomon, while serving as
prime minister, was assassinated when Bandaranaike was
10 years old. Bandaranaike was elected to Parliament in
1977 and has been a member since then. He was the leader
of the opposition from 1983 to 1988, the minister of higher
education from 1993 to 1994, and the speaker of Parliament
from 2000 to 2001 when the party that his sister leads
lost elections. He was in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
founded by his father for much of his political life,
although he was an MP for the rival United National Party
headed by his childhood friend when it was in the opposition.
When the SLFP led alliance won the elections in 2004,
Bandaranaike became minister of tourism, industry and
investment.
Despite
being in politics for over a quarter of a century, he
has only been in a governing side for about 3 years.
Following
the assassination of foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar
in August 2005, Bandaranaike was appointed as foreign
minister, amidst increased tension throughout the country.
He dropped his position as minister of industry and investment,
but remained tourism minister. He was later chosen as
the running mate of Mahinda Rajapakse for the presidential
campaign after the party rejected Bandaranaike's own ambitions
of becoming the candidate.
Following
Rajapakse's election victory it had been widely predicted
that Bandaranaike would be appointed premier or foreign
minister.
However
he was accused of playing a "negative role"
in the campaign and was offered only the tourism ministry
instead. In a cabinet reshuffle in January 2007, Anura
also lost the tourism ministry. On 9th February 2007,
he was sacked as the minister of national heritage, together
with ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi
after falling out with the president of Sri Lanka.
Less
than two weeks later, after groveling before President
Rajapakse, Bandaranaike agreed to come back into the government,
again being sworn in as Minister of National Heritage.
On the 14 December 2007 he crossed over to the opposition
benches thus leaving his ministerial posts.
Courtesy
Asian Tribune
