Anura Bandaranaike

Anura Priyadarshi Solomon Dias Bandaranaike (15 February 1949 – 16 March 2008) 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 (April 2004 – January 2007), and Minister of National Heritage. He last served as a member of parliament from the opposition.

Early life and family

Born on February 15, 1949, at Tintagel, Rosmead Place, Colombo to Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike and Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike. He was the youngest of three siblings and only son. His family has a long history in the socio-political arena of the country. His grandfather, Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranike was the Maha Mudaliyar (the chief native interpreter and advisor to the Governor) and his maternal grandfather Barnes Ratwatte Rate Mahatmaya, Dissawa of Sabaragamuwa during British colonial rule. Bandaranaike's father Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike was at the time of his birth the Cabinet Minister of Health and Local Government and would become the fourth Prime Minister of Ceylon in 1956. He was assassinated on 26 September 1959, when young Anura was ten years old. His mother, took over the leadership of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party which was formed by her husband and became the first female prime minister in the world when she was appointed as Prime Minister of Ceylon in July 1960. He and his two elder sisters soon found themselves active in the party politics. His eldest sister Sunethra Bandaranaike, became a socialite and his other sister Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, later became the President of Sri Lanka.

Education Bandaranaike completed his primary education at Royal Preparatory School and secondary education at the Royal College, Colombo where his contemporaries included Ranil Wickremesinghe and Dinesh Gunawardena. He then read Ancient and Modern History at the University of London, graduating with a BA Honours in 1973. found corruption and abuses of power, Sirima Bandaranaike and her nephew, Felix Dias Bandaranaike had their civil liberties stripped for a period of seven years by a motion in parliament. Sirima Bandaranaike remained the party leader, but Anura Bandaranaike became the de facto leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party parliamentarian group. The rift was aggravated by the return to the party of his sister Chandrika Kumaratunga who had left the family party in 1984 to join the Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya formed by her husband Vijaya Kumaratunga. She then went into exile in London following Kumaratunga's assassination.

Electoral history

+ Parliamentary ElectionYearConstituencyPositionPartyAllianceVotes%+/-Result 1977 Nuwara Eliya-Maskeliya Member of Parliament Sri Lanka Freedom Party 30.33% 30.33 1989 Gampaha District 36.39% 36.39 2000 United National Party 26.30% 10.09 2001 Sri Lanka Freedom Party People's Alliance 55.41% 29.11 2004 United People's Freedom Alliance 38.91% 16.50

Death Bandaranaike died on 16 March 2008 at Visumpaya, his official residence in Colombo, following a period of prolonged illness due to cancer. He had been diagnosed with cancer a few years before his death and had been hospitalized for several months. A few weeks prior to his death, he had taken three months leave from parliament.