Sampanthan is opposition leader and Anura Kumara is chief opposition whip

(Lanka-e-News -03.Sep.2015, 8.30PM) The most senior parliamentarian in the present parliament , TNA leader R.Sampanthan was appointed as the opposition leader of the 8 th parliament , while  JVP leader was appointed as the chief opposition whip based on a decision taken by the speaker Karu Jayasuriya. These decisions were made after the parliament met today at 9.00 a.m.

The speaker addressing the parliament said, neither the secretary of SLFP nor the UPFA had made a request regarding the opposition leader post. With  the SLFP and UNP  forming  a united government , the highest number of seats in the present opposition belonged to the TNA , and the next highest is the JVP, and the  latter made a request for  the chief opposition whip post, which  was granted.

Hereunder is a profile of Sampanthan the new opposition leader:

Rajavrodayan Sampanthan was born on 5 th February 1933 at Trincomalee. He is a lawyer by profession and entered  parliament for the first time in 1971. It is significant to note that at present there is no other parliamentarian in parliament who entered same in 1971 or before. He has been the leader of the TNA since 2001.

He is an old boy of St. Patrick College, Jaffna , St. Annes College, Kurunegala, St. Joseph’s College , Trincomalee, and St. Sebastian College , Moratuwa. After his secondary education he entered law College, and became a lawyer. He practiced as lawyer in Trincomalee courts. 

He married Leela Devi  and  has three children by her  – two sons and one daughter. 

Profile of Anura Kumara Dissanayake , the new chief opposition whip:

Dissanayake Mudiyansalage Anura Kumara Dissanayake was born on 24 th November 1968 at  Anuradhapura. He secured his education at Thambuthegama Madhya maha vidyalaya. While he was a student he joined the JVP student division and worked with them. Dissanayake after obtaining his BSc degree at Kelaniya University , entered parliament for  the first time  in 2004 as Kurunegala district M.P.

 Dissanayake had been  a minister of agriculture , livestock , lands and irrigation . He was also a member of about 12 parliamentary committees . In 2014 he was appointed as  JVP leader.

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by     (2015-09-03 16:29:36)