C. P. de Silva

Honourable C. P. de Silva CCS, MP
File:C.P. de Silva.jpg
Leader of the Opposition
In office 30 March 1960 – 23 April 1960
Prime Minister	Dudley Senanayake
Preceded by	N. M. Perera
Succeeded by	Dudley Senanayake
Minister of Lands, Land Development and Agriculture
In office 1956–1959
Minister of Power and Irrigation
In office 1960–1964
Minister of Lands, Irrigation and Power
In office 1965–1970
Minister of Finance
In office 28 August 1962 – 8 November 1962
Prime Minister	Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Preceded by	Felix Dias Bandaranaike
Succeeded by	P. B. G. Kalugalla
Member of the Ceylon Parliament for Minneriya
In office 1952–1970
Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
In office 1959–1960
Preceded by	S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
Succeeded by	Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Personal details
Born	(1912-04-16)16 April 1912
Died	9 October 1972(1972-10-09) (aged 60)
Political party	United National Party (1964-1972) Sri Lanka Freedom Party (1952-1964)
Alma mater	Dharmasoka College St Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia Ceylon University College
Profession	Civil servant

Charles Percival de Silva (April 16, 1912 – October 09, 1972) was a leading Sri Lankan politician and civil servant. He was a Minister of Lands, Land Development and Agriculture, and Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

Early life and education

Born Randombe in Balapitiya to C. R. de Silva, a lawyer and Adlin de Silva who was a founder of Musaeus College. He had three brothers and two sisters.

He was educated at Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda and St Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia where he won the Gregory Scholarship and the Miller Award. Thereafter he attend the Ceylon University College where he gained a BSc Special Degree in Mathematics (first Class) from the University of London.

Civil service

In 1935, he entered the Ceylon Civil Service as one of the youngest to gain admissions. He was first appointed as a Cadet in the Jaffna Kachcheri. Thereafter he served as an Assistant Government Agent in Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kalutara. Thereafter he was posted as Assistant Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, D. S. Senanayake. In 1945 he was an Assistant Land Commissioner and in 1949 he was promoted to the post of Director of Land Development, when Minister of Agriculture was Dudley Senanayake.

Political career

After retiring from the civil service, he contest in the general elections in 1952 and was elected to parliament from Minneriya. He was re-elected in 1956 and was appointed as Minister of Lands, Land Development and Agriculture in the cabinet of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike. He became seriously ill at a cabinet meeting in August 25, 1959 and was flown to the United Kingdom for treatment. During his absence Bandaranaike was assassinated on September 26, 1959 and Wijeyananda Dahanayake took over as Prime Minister. De Silva return to the island and was appointed an interim minister only to be removed shortly. He was appointed by Sirimavo Bandaranaike as Minister of Power and Irrigation in 1960. In 1964, he crossed over to the United National Party (UNP). The government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike lost the throne speech and the UNP won the general elections in 1965, after which de Silva was appointed Minister of Lands, Irrigation and Power. He was a member of parliament for 17 years.

C. P. de Silva died on October 9, 1972.