Vidura Wickremanayake (born 11 July 1959) is a Sri Lankan politician who served as the Minister of Buddhashasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs from 2022 to 2024.[1] A Member of Parliament, he is the son of the former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake.
Vidura Wickremanayake | |
|---|---|
| විදුර වික්රමනායක விதுர விக்கிரமநாயக்க | |
| Minister of Buddhashasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs | |
| In office 20 May 2022 – 24 September 2024 | |
| President | Gotabaya Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe |
| Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe Dinesh Gunawardena |
| Preceded by | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Succeeded by | Vijitha Herath |
| Minister of Labour | |
| In office 18 April 2022 – 9 May 2022 | |
| President | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Prime Minister | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Preceded by | Nimal Siripala de Silva |
| Succeeded by | Manusha Nanayakkara |
| Member of Parliament for Kalutara District | |
| Assumed office 2010 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 July 1959 |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Political party | Sri Lanka Freedom Party |
| Other political affiliations | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna |
| Relations | Ratnasiri Wickremanayake (father) |
Early life and education
editBorn to Ratnasiri Wickremanayake and Kusum Wickremanayake, he was educated at Royal College, Colombo and gained a BSc in Agriculture in the Philippines.[2]
Political career
editWickremanayake was elected to parliament from Kalutara from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in the 2015 parliamentary election and was appointed State Minister of Agriculture. He was re-elected in the 2020 parliamentary election from the Kalutara electorate with 147,958 preferential votes and was appointed State Minister of National Heritage, Rural Arts.[3] Following the mass resignation of the Sri Lankan cabinet in the wake of the 2022 Sri Lankan protests, he was appointed as the Minister of Labour by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on 18 April 2022.[4][5] He left office following the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and thereby the whole government. He was appointed to the position of Minister of Buddhashasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs in the new Sri Lankan Cabinet by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on 20 May 2022.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Sri Lanka president appoints eight new cabinet ministers". economynext.com. 23 May 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
- ^ "Family jewels on parade in new parliament". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 23 August 2015.
- ^ Saman, patirage (7 August 2020). "2020 GE: Kalutara District preferential votes". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
- ^ Krishnasai, C. "Sri Lankan president appoints 17 cabinet ministers amid calls for govt ouster". WION News. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- ^ "President appoints 17 new Cabinet ministers". Ada Derana.lk. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
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