Asoka Ranwala | |
---|---|
අසෝක රන්වල அசோக ரன்வல | |
22nd Speaker of the Parliament | |
Assumed office 21 November 2024 | |
President | Anura Kumara Dissanayake |
Prime Minister | Harini Amarasuriya |
Deputy | Rizvie Salih |
Preceded by | Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena |
Member of Parliament for Gampaha District | |
Assumed office 21 November 2024 | |
Majority | 109,332 Preferential votes |
Personal details | |
Nationality | Sri Lankan |
Political party | National People's Power |
Occupation | Trade unionist |
Profession | Engineer |
Asoka Ranwala is a Sri Lankan trade unionist and politician,currently serving as the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka since 2024.
Ranwala received his primary education at Yatiyana Primary School.
He founded the BioGenic Green Technology Research Institute,which aims to develop sustainable biogenic agricultural practices. [1]
He began his political career as a young JVP member,serving as a member of the Biyagama Pradeshiya Sabha,the Western Provincial Council and President of the Ceylon Petroleum Common Workers' Union,having being employed at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation,Sapugaskanda Refinery. [2]
A member of the National People's Power,he was elected to the parliament in the 2024 Sri Lankan parliamentary election representing Gampaha Electoral District. [3] [4]
Mahinda Deshapriya,the former Chairman of the Election Commission of Sri Lanka challenged Ranwala to prove that he had a degree as claimed by the newly elected Speaker. Deshapriya said that the Speaker should resign if he failed to prove his academic credentials and urged the NPP to take action if he failed to do so. [5] Ranwala in a public statement dismissed criticism claiming that his advanced qualifications include a postgraduate degree from the University of Moratuwa and a doctoral degree from Waseda University in Japan. [6]
The United National Party is a centre-right political party in Sri Lanka. The UNP has served as the country's ruling party,or as part of its governing coalition,for 38 of the country's 74 years of independence,including the periods 1947–1956,1965–1970,1977–1994,2001–2004 and 2015–2019. The party also controlled the executive presidency from its formation in 1978 until 1994 and again from 2022 to 2024.
The Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the supreme legislative body of Sri Lanka. It alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all other political bodies in the island. It is modeled after the British Parliament. The 17th Parliament of Sri Lanka will convene for the first time on 21 November 2024.
Anura Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician,who served as Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka (2000-2001) and Leader of the Opposition (1983–1988). He held several cabinet ministries:as Foreign Minister briefly in 2005,Minister of Higher Education (1993–1994),Minister of Tourism,and Minister of National Heritage (2007). He last served as a member of parliament from the opposition.
Sri Lankabhimanya Karu Jayasuriya is a Sri Lankan politician. He was the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Previously he was Mayor of Colombo from 1997 to 1999,Minister of Power and Energy from 2001 to 2004,Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs from 2007 to 2008,and Minister of Buddha Sasana,Public Administration,and Democratic Governance in 2015. He has served as Chairman of the Leadership Council of the United National Party (UNP),as well as Deputy Leader of the UNP. He is a member of parliament representing the Gampaha District since 2001. He had served as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to (Germany). As Speaker of Parliament,he also acts as Chairman of the Constitutional Council.
The Speaker of the Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the presiding officer of the chamber. The Speaker fulfills a number of important functions in relation to the operation of the House,which is based upon the British Westminster parliamentary system. The speaker is second in the Sri Lankan presidential line of succession,after the prime minister.
John Anthony Emmanuel Amaratunga is a Sri Lankan politician and lawyer. He is a representative of Gampaha District for the United National Party in the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He resides in Kandana.He was the minister Tourism Development,Christian Religious Affairs and Land in the United National Party led government. He also held the powerful ministry of Interior in the 2001-2004 United National Party government.
Herath Mudiyanselage Vijitha Herath is a Sri Lankan politician who has served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs since September 2024. Herath has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Gampaha District since 2000.
Ronald Joseph Godfrey de Mel was a Sri Lankan civil servant and politician. He served as the Minister of Finance under President J. R. Jayewardene's government from 1977 to 1988 and was instrumental in the establishment of the free market economy in Sri Lanka. He was also the longest serving finance minister of Sri Lanka. De Mel served as a Member of Parliament on multiple occasions,first from the Devinuwara District from 1970 to 1989,then from the Matara District from 1994 to 2000,and finally as a National list member of Parliament from 2000 to 2004. He also served as a Senior Adviser to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Although he was a self-described socialist,de Mel has been credited with introducing capitalism and capitalist reforms to Sri Lanka's economy. He left a lasting mark on Sri Lanka's economy and political life,as recognized by national leaders at his funeral.
Gampaha electoral district is one of the 22 multi-member electoral districts of Sri Lanka created by the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. The district is conterminous with the administrative district of Gampaha in the Western province. The district currently elects 19 of the 225 members of the Sri Lankan Parliament and had 1,785,964 registered electors in 2020. The district is Sri Lanka's Electorate Number 02.
Bulathwalage Prasanna Ranaweera is a Sri Lankan politician,a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He was elected from Gampaha District in 2015,representing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. He was suspended from parliament for a week on 5 May 2016 by the speaker over connection with the tense situation which erupted.
Ajith Mannapperuma is a Sri Lankan politician. A current Member of Parliament from Gampaha District,he was a former state minister of Mahaveli Development and Environment.
The Sri Lanka People's Front,commonly known by its Sinhalese name Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP),is a political party in Sri Lanka. It was the ruling party in Sri Lanka from 2019 to 2022 and was the largest party in parliament from 2020 to 2024. Previously a minor political party known as the Sri Lanka National Front (SLNF) and Our Sri Lanka Freedom Front (OSLFF),it was relaunched in 2016 as the SLPP and the party became the base for members of the United People's Freedom Alliance loyal to its former leader Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Rajapaksa family.
The National People's Power (NPP) or Jathika Jana Balawegaya (JJB) is a centre-left to left-wing political party in Sri Lanka. It is the current ruling party of Sri Lanka,having won the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections,and is currently the largest party in the Parliament of Sri Lanka. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is the current leader of the party and Nihal Abeysinghe is the general secretary.
The 16th Parliament of Sri Lanka was the meeting of the Parliament of Sri Lanka with its membership determined by the results of the 2020 parliamentary election held on 5 August 2020. The parliament met for the first time on 20 August 2020 and was dissolved on 24 September 2024.
Jeevan Kumaravel Thondaman is a Sri Lankan politician,Member of Parliament and former Cabinet minister.
Parliamentary elections were held in Sri Lanka on 14 November 2024 to elect 225 members to the new parliament. The 16th Parliament of Sri Lanka was dissolved on 24 September 2024. The submission of nominations for the election commenced on 4 October and concluded on 11 October 2024 at 12:00 SLST.
The 17th Parliament of Sri Lanka is the current Parliament of Sri Lanka,with its membership determined by the results of the 2024 parliamentary election held on 14 November 2024. The parliament met for the first time on 21 November 2024.
Hemali Weerasekara is a Sri Lankan politician currently serving as the Deputy Chairperson of Committees since 21 November 2024. She is the first woman to hold this office. A member of the National People's Power,She was elected to the parliament in the 2024 Sri Lankan parliamentary election representing the Gampaha Electoral District.
Mahindavansha Jayasinghe,commonly known as Mahinda Jayasinghe,is a Sri Lankan educator,unionist and politician. A member of the National People's Power,he was elected to the parliament in the 2024 Sri Lankan parliamentary election representing Gampaha Electoral District.