Gamini Dissanayake
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Lionel Gamini Dissanayake(March 20, 1942 - October 24, 1994) was a prominent Sri Lankan politician and a former presidential candidate and Leader of the Opposition.
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[edit] Early life
He was born in Kandy in the hillcountry of Sri Lanka. His father served as an MP and a deputy minister in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party government of Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike after his departure from the United National Party. The wealthy Dissanayake family resided in both Kandy as well as Nuwara Eliya. Gamini Dissanayake had his schooling at the prestigious Trinity College in Kandy, and received his tertiary education at the Sri Lanka Law College. Later in life, he completed an MPhil Degree in International Relations at Cambridge University.
[edit] Political career
Dissanyake spearheaded the Mahaweli Development Project. This was a huge project which was expected to take 30 years to finish. But due to Dissanayake's skills he managed to finish the project within 6 years. The Mahaweli Development Project is the largest development project conducted in Sri Lanka after independence. The whole country was affected by the project which focused on irrigation, hydro power generation, agriculture, town & country development. Majority of the power generated for the local consumption is generated from these hydropower plants while an overwhelming majority of the rice cultivation in Sri Lanka is conducted in these Mahaweli areas.
[edit] Death
After President D.B. Wijetunga indicated he would not run in the 1994 presidential election, Dissanayake was nominated as the UNP candidate at the same time he was the Leader of the Opposition in parliament. This was cut short by his assassination, which was blamed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. His wife Srima ran in his stead, but was defeated by People's Alliance candidate & then Prime Minister Chandrika Kumaratunga.
His eldest son Naveen Dissanayake is currently a non-cabinet minister of investment promotion in the current United People's Freedom Alliance administration.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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