Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe
![]() | This biography of a living person includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (November 2015) |
Wijeyadasa Rajapakse | |
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De facto Minister of Education and Higher Education | |
In office 29 October 2018 – 15 December 2018 (suspended by courts) | |
President | Maithripala Sirisena |
Prime Minister | Mahinda Rajapakse |
Minister of Higher Education and Cultural Affairs | |
In office 1 May 2018 – 26 October 2018 | |
President | Maithripala Sirisena |
Prime Minister | Ranil Wickramasinghe |
Preceded by | Kabir Hashim |
Minister of Buddha Sasana | |
In office 4 September 2015 – 23 August 2017 | |
President | Maithripala Sirisena |
Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
Preceded by | Karu Jayasuriya |
Succeeded by | Gamini Jayawickrama Perera |
Minister of Justice | |
In office 12 January 2015 – 23 August 2017 | |
President | Maithripala Sirisena |
Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
Preceded by | Rauff Hakeem |
Succeeded by | Thalatha Atukorale |
Member of Parliament for Colombo District | |
Assumed office 2015 | |
Member of Parliament for National List | |
In office 2004–2010 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 16 March 1959 |
Nationality | Sri Lankan |
Political party | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna |
Other political affiliations | Sri Lanka Freedom Party, United National Party |
Profession | Attorney-at-Law |
Website | wijeyadasarajapakshe.com |
Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, MP, PC (born 16 March 1959) is a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician. He is a Member of Parliament for the Colombo District and currently holding Minister of Higher Education and Cultural Affairs portfolio. He is a former Minister of Justice and Buddasasana from 2015 to 2017 and Minister of State Banking Development from 2005 to 2006. He was the Prime Minister's nominee for the Constitutional Council (Sri Lanka) [1] In the 2018 Sri Lankan constitutional crisis, He was the Minister of Education and Higher Education and his post was suspended by the court.
Early life and career
Rajapakshe hails from a family in Walasmulla, Hambantota District. He commenced his career as a Banker and resigned after a period of 5 years to enter the legal profession. He holds a degree in Law from the University of Colombo and has been practicing in the field of law since 1984. He won the award for the Outstanding Young Person (TOYP) in the field of legal affairs in 1998 and was appointed as a President's Counsel in 2001. He had been an examiner in the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo.
While engaged in his legal practice, he held several public offices such as Chairman of the Rent Board of Review, Chairman of Sri Lanka Press Council, Vice President of the World Association of Press Council, Director National Film Corporation, Director Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, Managing Director Associated Newspaper Ceylon (Lake House), Panel Chairman, to inquire into the allegations of misconduct against Attorneys-at-Law, Chairman of Disciplinary Committee, to inquire into the charges of doping, against Athletes.
Political career
In May 2004 he was appointed as a Member of Parliament to represent the ruling Party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and was offered the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs which was refused by him. Later he continued as the only Member of Parliament on the government side, without holding any portfolio. Following the 2005 presidential elections, President Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed him as the Minister of State Banking Development in November 2005, but he resigned in April 2006 on a matter of policy. He also resigned from the post of the SLFP Organizer of the Maharagama electorate. Thereafter he was elected the Chairman of the Committee On Public Enterprises in July 2006 and presented the first report in January 2007, which led to serious controversies both local and overseas. He gain publicity for high lighting corruption in the public sector. In 2007, LMD media services named him "Sri Lankan of the year 2007".[2]
In 2010, he was elected to Parliament from the Colombo District. In 2012, he was elected President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. During his tenure he led the Bar Association in support of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake during her impeachment. Following the 2015 presidential election he was appointed Minister of Justice. In 2017, he was sacked form his ministerial position by President Maithripala Sirisena at the request by the United National Party [3] due to his views against the Privatization and involvements on Judiciary of Present Government. However, he was appointed Minister of Ministry of Higher Education & Cultural Affairs in May 2018. In 2018, with the on set of the 2018 Sri Lankan constitutional crisis, he was appointed to the new cabinet of ministers headed by Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Minister of Education and Higher Education in October 2018.[4]
See also
References
- "WIJEYADASA RAJAPAKSHE". Directory of Members. Parliament of Sri Lanka.
- "Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe resigned from CoPE". Lanka E News. Article of Lanka E News.
- "Rajapakshe new BASL Chief". Daily Mirror. Daily Mirror.
- "Double Doctor, Doublethink and the Culture of opportunists". Sri Lanka Guardian. Sri Lanka Guardian.
- "Moon report breached UN Charter - Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe MP". Sunday Observer. Sunday observer.
- Living people
- Members of the 13th Parliament of Sri Lanka
- Members of the 14th Parliament of Sri Lanka
- Members of the 15th Parliament of Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka Freedom Party politicians
- United National Party politicians
- United People's Freedom Alliance politicians
- 1959 births
- Justice ministers of Sri Lanka
- Labour ministers of Sri Lanka
- Buddha Sasana Ministers of Sri Lanka