Helena Harin Fernando Andrews | |
---|---|
හරීන් ප්රනාන්දු ஹரின் பெர்னாண்டோ | |
Minister of Tourism and Lands | |
Assumed office 20 May 2022 | |
President | Gotabaya Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe |
Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe Dinesh Gunawardena |
Preceded by | Prasanna Ranatunga |
Minister of Sports [1] | |
In office 20 December 2018 –17 November 2019 | |
President | Maithripala Sirisena |
Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
Preceded by | Faiszer Musthapha |
Succeeded by | Dullas Alahapperuma |
Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare | |
In office 25 February 2018 –26 October 2018 | |
President | Maithripala Sirisena |
Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
Preceded by | Thalatha Atukorale |
In office 20 December 2018 –17 November 2019 | |
President | Maithripala Sirisena |
Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure | |
In office 4 September 2015 –26 October 2018 | |
President | Maithripala Sirisena |
Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
In office 20 December 2018 –17 November 2019 | |
President | Maithripala Sirisena |
Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
7th Chief Minister of Uva Province | |
In office 14 January 2015 –1 September 2015 | |
Governor | M. P. Jayasinghe |
Preceded by | Shashindra Rajapaksa |
Succeeded by | Chamara Sampath Dassanayake |
Member of Parliament for National List | |
Assumed office 20 August 2020 | |
Member of Parliament for Badulla District | |
In office 1 September 2015 –3 March 2020 | |
Majority | 200,806 Preferential Votes |
In office 22 April 2010 –5 August 2014 | |
Majority | 49,073 Preferential Votes |
Personal details | |
Born | Wattala,Sri Lanka | 28 October 1978
Political party | Independent (since 2023) |
Other political affiliations | Samagi Jana Balawegaya (2020–2023) United National Party (until 2020) |
Spouse | Ravindani Yashendra Dias |
Parent(s) | Nihal Benito Fernando,Nimalka Fernando |
Alma mater | St. Joseph's College,Colombo |
Occupation | Politician |
Profession | Businessman |
Harin Fernando,MP (born 28 October 1978) is a Sri Lankan politician and member of parliament. He is the current Cabinet Minister of Tourism and Lands. He previously served as the Minister of Telecommunication,Digital Infrastructure facilities,Foreign Employment,Sports,and tourism in previous Sri Lankan governments. [1] He was the 7th Chief Minister of Uva Province.
Born in Wattala to a Roman Catholic family,Fernando was educated at St. Joseph's College,Colombo.
Fernando was appointed as the United National Party (UNP) electoral organizer for Badulla District when he was only 27 and won the highest number of votes in the Uva Provincial Council Election in 2005. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Badulla District in 2010 and resigned on 5 August 2014 to contest as candidate for Chief Minister of Uva Province. [2] Even though Fernando won the highest number of preferential votes,the UNP lost in Uva Provincial Council elections. Fernando became the leader of the opposition in the Uva Provincial Council.
Fernando played critical role in President Mahinda Rajapaksa's defeat in the 2015 presidential elections,after Rajapaksa called for early election where the UPFA won narrowly at the Uva Provincial Council elections. Fernando had strongly criticised the Rajapaksa regime for its corruption,authoritarian rule and rise of lawlessness. Harin's criticisms significantly reduced Rajapaksa's popularity in Badulla and Monaragala. Fernando openly campaigned for the common candidate Maithripala Sirisena in the elections.
Soon after the elections,a number of UPFA provincial councilors backed Fernando,thus giving the UNP a majority in the Uva provincial council. He was sworn in as Chief Minister of Uva Province before the Governor and succeeded Shasheendra Rajapaksa. [3] In August 2015,Fernando was elected to parliament,gaining the highest votes in the Badulla District. Shortly afterwards he was appointed as Cabinet Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure. [4] [5]
Fernando criticized Facebook for being too slow to combat social media users who had used Facebook and WhatsApp to plan and facilitate the anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka. [6]
On 20 May 2022,amidst the 2022 Sri Lankan protests and political crisis,Fernando was sworn in as the Minister of Tourism and Lands and officially became a member of the Rajapaksa-Wickremesinghe led cabinet,against the wishes of his own party,the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB). [7] He and fellow minister Manusha Nanayakkara had subsequently been suspended from the SJB. Both ministers would later resign from their ministerial portfolios on 9 July 2022,but would again be reappointed to their same positions by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on 22 July 2022. [8] A year later,on 18 July 2023,the Working Committee of the SJB expelled Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara from the party. [9]
Fernando married Ravindani Yashendra Dias in 2003. They have had two children,Nikhel Joshue Chethiya Fernando and Naiara Chaithika Fernando.
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