Anura Kumara Dissanayake, MP (Sinhala: අනුර කුමාර දිසානායක, Tamil: அநுர குமார திசாநாயக்க; born 24 November 1968), is a Sri Lankan politician. He is a Member of Parliament from the Colombo District, the current party leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (from 2014) and the National People's Power (from 2019). A former presidential candidate in 2019, he has been named as the National People's Power presidential candidate for the 2024 Sri Lankan presidential election, campaigning on an anti-corruption platform.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake | |
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අනුර කුමාර දිසානායක அநுர குமார திசாநாயக்க | |
![]() Dissanayake in 2022 | |
Leader of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna | |
Assumed office 2 February 2014 | |
Preceded by | Somawansa Amarasinghe |
Chief Opposition Whip | |
In office 3 September 2015 – 18 December 2018 | |
President | Maithripala Sirisena |
Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
Preceded by | W. D. J. Senewiratne |
Succeeded by | Mahinda Amaraweera |
Leader of the National People's Power | |
Assumed office 2019 | |
Preceded by | Position established |
Member of Parliament for Colombo District | |
Assumed office 1 September 2015 | |
Member of Parliament for Kurunegala District | |
In office 1 April 2004 – 8 April 2010 | |
Member of Parliament for National List | |
In office 22 April 2010 – 17 August 2015 | |
In office 18 October 2000 – 7 February 2004 | |
Minister of Agriculture, Land and Livestock | |
In office April 2004 – June 2005 | |
President | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
Prime Minister | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
Personal details | |
Born | Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage Anura Kumara Dissanayaka 24 November 1968 Thambuthegama, Dominion of Ceylon |
Nationality | Sri Lankan |
Political party | Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna |
Other political affiliations | National People's Power |
Alma mater | University of Kelaniya |
Signature | ![]() |
Website | www |
Dissanayake has been involved with the JVP since his school days and was active in student politics in university before joining the JVP politburo in 1995. He has been a member of parliament since September 2000, having been either appointed from the national list or elected, Dissanayake served as the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation from 2004 to 2005 and Chief Opposition Whip from 2015 to 2018. He was named the leader of JVP at the 7th National Convention of the party, held on 2 February 2014.[1]
Early life, education and student politics
editDissanayake Mudiyanselage Anura Kumara Dissanayake was born on 24 November 1968 in the village of Thambuthegama in the Anuradhapura District, North Central Province, Sri Lanka. His father was a labourer and his mother was a housewife, he had one sister.[2] Dissanayake received his education at the Thambuthegama Gamini Maha Vidyalaya and the Thambuthegama Central College, becoming the first student from the college to gain university entrance.[2] Having been involved in the JVP from his school days, Dissanayake joined the JVP in 1987, becoming active in student politics, engaged in full time political activities from 1987, with the onset of the 1987–1989 JVP insurrection.[2] He entered the University of Peradeniya and left a few months later due to threats. He transferred to the University of Kelaniya a year later in 1992 and graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in physical science.[3]
Political career
editJVP Politburo
editIn 1995, he become the National Organizer of the Socialist Students Association and was appointed to the Central Working Committee of the JVP. He appointed to the Politburo of the JVP in 1998.[3] The JVP having re-entered mainstream politics under Somawansa Amarasinghe, supported Chandrika Kumaratunga in the 1994 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, however soon became vocal critics of the Kumaranatunga administration.
Parliament and Cabinet minister
editHe entered parliament in 2000, following the 2000 Sri Lankan parliamentary election from the National list of the JVP and was reappointed following the 2001 Sri Lankan parliamentary election. In 2004, the JVP allied with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), contesting as a part of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in the 2004 parliamentary elections and win 39 seats in the parliament. Dissanayake was elected to parliament from the Kurunegala District from the UPFA and was appointed by President Kumaranatunga as Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation in the joint SLFP–JVP government in February 2004.[4] He resigned his ministerial portfolio on 16 June 2005, with the other JVP Ministers, following JVP leader Amerasinghe's decision to quit the United People's Freedom Alliance in opposition to President Kumaranatunga government's controversial joint mechanism with the LTTE for tsunami relief co-ordination in the north and east provinces.[5][6] He served as Chief Opposition Whip from September 2015 to December 2018.
JVP party leader
editOn 2 February 2014, during the 17th National Convention of the JVP, Dissanayake was named as the new leader of the JVP, succeeding Somawansa Amarasinghe.
Presidential candidate
edit2019 presidential election
editOn 18 August 2019, the National People's Power, a political organization led by the JVP, announced that Dissanayake would be its presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential elections. Dissanayake came in 3rd with 3% of valid votes, receiving 418,553 votes.[7]
2024 presidential election
editOn 29 August 2023, the NPP announced that Dissanayake would run for president again in 2024.[8]
Tax reforms
editDissanayake has been highly critical of the Government of Sri Lanka and the IMF, claiming that the IMF only wants to bailout corrupt regimes.[9] He has stated that some of the IMF conditions need to be renegotiated, such as the reducing some taxes such as the Pay-as-you-earn tax, as this has outperformed, while reducing expenditure to meet the primary surplus target. He has indicated that his government would increase social welfare grants, while eliminate Value Added Taxs on essential items such as food, health services, medical equipment, and educational services, reducing the cost of living, increase the taxes on wealthy, while supporting their businesses.[10]
Electoral history
editElection | Constituency | Party | Alliance | Votes | Result | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004 parliamentary | Kurunegala District | JVP | UPFA | 153,868 | Elected | ||
2015 parliamentary | Colombo District | JVP | 65,966 | Elected | |||
2019 presidential | Sri Lanka | JVP | NPP | 418,553 | Lost | ||
2020 parliamentary | Colombo District | JVP | NPP | 49,814 | Elected |
References
edit- ^ Anura Kumara Dissanayake is new JVP leader & National People's Power Part. Daily Mirror, Retrieved on 3 February 2014.
- ^ a b c David, Anusha. "Anusha David speaks to Anura Kumara Dissanayake". jvpsrilanka.com. JVP. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ a b "A look back into the life of the NPP Presidential candidate; Anura K." Newsfirst. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ "Agriculture Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake will launch tomorrow Tank renovation scheme at Yapahuwa".
- ^ "JVP leaves coalition Government". TamilNet. 16 June 2005.
- ^ Weerasinghe, Chamikara (17 June 2005). "VP leaves Govt with regret". Daily News, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011.
- ^ "NPPM Declares JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake As Its 2019 Presidential Candidate". Colombo Telegraph. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
- ^ "JVP on the track before race is announced - Opinion | Daily Mirror". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ "Sri Lanka needs a national liberation movement, not mere regime change: Anura Kumara Dissanayake". THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ "Presidential Election 2024: A look at economic policies of key candidates". The Morning. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
External links
edit- Parliament profile
- Srinivasan, Meera (21 November 2018). "We think what happened on October 26 is a conspiracy, says Anura Kumara Dissanayake". The Hindu.