S. B. Dissanayake

Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Sumanaweera Banda Dissanayake, MP (born 18 September 1951) (known as S. B. Dissanayake) is a Sri Lankan politician. He is the former Cabinet Minister of Higher Education in President Mahinda Rajapakse's Government.[1] He was former general secretary of Sri Lanka Freedom Party and former National Organizer of the United National Party Dissanayake lost his cabinet position after Rajapaksha was defeated at the 2015 presidential election in Sri Lanka.

Hon.

S. B. Dissanayake

MP
Minister of Rural and Economic Affairs
In office
4 September 2015 – 12 April 2018
PresidentMaithripala Sirisena
Prime MinisterRanil Wickremesinghe
Member of the Sri Lanka Parliament
for National List
Assumed office
2015
Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament
for Kandy District
In office
2010–2015
Personal details
Born (1951-09-18) 18 September 1951
NationalitySri Lankan
Political partySri Lanka Freedom Party
Other political
affiliations		Communist Party
United National Party
Spouse(s)Thamara née Samarakoon
ChildrenNarada, Tharaka
ResidenceMadanwala, Hanguranketha,
Sri Lanka.
Alma materUniversity of Sri Jayewardenepura
OccupationPolitics

Political career

In the 1977 General Elections Dissanayake contested the Hanguranketha Electorate from the Communist Party but was defeated.[2] Dissanayaka contested for the parliamentary election in 1994 under the People's Alliance from the Nuwara Eliya district and was elected to parliament with 38372 votes.[3] He served as the Cabinet Minister of Samurdhi affaris, Youth Affairs and Sports under President Chandrika Kumaratunga. In 2001, Dissanayaka and other eight ministers from the PA government crossed over to the United National Party which was a crucial factor in the downfall of the incumbent PA government.[4] In 2002 he was assigned as the Cabinet Minister of Samurdhi and Agriculture in the UNP government under prime minister Ranil Wickramasinghe in addition to being elevated to National Organiser of the party. In December 2009, Dissanayaka crossed over again, to the SLFP.[5] Dissanayake lost his cabinet position after Rajapaksha was defeated at the 2015 presidential election in Sri Lanka. His controversial statement about former president Chandrika Kumaratunge was criticized by many in the run up to the polls in 2015.

Dissanayake joined the National government in 2015 led by the United National Party as the Minister of Rural Economic Affairs.

Controversies

Imprisonment

S.B. Dissanayake was sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment by five Judge Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva on December 7, 2004 for defaming the Supreme Court during a speech he made at a function in Habaraduwa in the year 2003.[6] In February 2006, he was fully released by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa.[7]

Scandal with Susanthika Jayasinghe

Former Sri Lankan sprint athlete Susanthika Jayasinghe alleged during a live segment on Lasantha Wickrematunge's show that Minister Dissanayaka had attempted to sexually harass her.[8] Later, Jayasinghe claimed that she did not specifically accuse Minister Dissanayaka.[9]

See also

References
  1. I’ll ensure democracy in universities, says SB Sunday Observer, Retrieved on 18 July 2010.
  2. 1977 Parliamentary Elections Results Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "The Island-Politics". Island.lk. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  5. "The Island-News". Island.lk. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  6. "BBCSinhala.com". Bbc.co.uk. 9 December 2004. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  7. 1/LTTE (18 February 2006). "S.B. Dissanayake to be released on Friday". Asian Tribune. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  8. "S. B. Dissanayake all out to upset proposed MOU, makes a scathing attack on Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa". Asian Tribune. 9 October 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  9. "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Sport". Tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
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