Tissa Vitharana
Upali Tissa Vitharana (born 30 August 1934) is a Sri Lankan politician, former Member of Parliament and former cabinet minister. He is the current leader of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), a member of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), and is serving as Governor of North Central Province.
Tissa Vitharana | |
|---|---|
| තිස්ස විතාරණ திஸ்ஸ விதாரண | |
| Governor of North Central Province | |
| In office December 2019 – 23 March 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Sarath Ekanayake |
| Succeeded by | Maheepala Herath |
| Minister of Science and Technology | |
| In office April 2004 – April 2010 | |
| Succeeded by | Himself (as Minister of Technology and Research) |
| Minister of Technology and Research | |
| In office May 2010 – November 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Himself (as Minister of Science and Technology) |
| Succeeded by | Pavithra Devi Wanniarachchi |
| Senior Minister of Scientific Affairs | |
| In office November 2010 – 12 January 2015 | |
| Member of Parliament for National List | |
| Assumed office 2020 | |
| In office 2004–2015 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 August 1934 Nuwara Eliya, Ceylon |
| Political party | Lanka Sama Samaja Party |
| Other political affiliations | United People's Freedom Alliance |
| Alma mater | University of Ceylon University of London |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Ethnicity | Sinhalese |
| Religion | Buddhist |
Early life and family
Vitharana was born 30 August 1934 in Nuwara Eliya in central Ceylon.[1][2] He was the son of Pieris Vitharana, a Public Works Department engineer, and N. P. Maggie Perera, sister of N. M. Perera.[2][3] He was educated at Trinity College, Kandy and Ananda College, Colombo.[2][4] He played cricket for both schools.[2][3] After school he joined the University of Ceylon's medical faculty in Colombo, graduating in 1959 with a MBBS degree.[2][3][5] Vitharana captained the university's cricket team in 1957/58 and took part in the Sara Trophy Tournament.[2][3]
Career
After university Vitharana worked as a medical officer (1959–67) and was registrar at Colombo General Hospital in 1963/64.[2][5] His post graduate work earned him an MD degree in clinical medicine from the University of Ceylon in 1965.[5] He then went to study in the UK, obtaining a Diploma in Bacteriology from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in 1968 and a Ph.D. in virology from the University of London in 1971.[3][5][6] Specialising in bacteriology and virology, Vitharana joined the Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Colombo in 1972, serving as its director from 1983 to 1994.[2][3][5] He was head of the virology department at the MRI from 1972 to 1994.[3][5] Vitharana was a consultant virologist at the Edinburgh City Hospital's Regional Virus Laboratory in the 1980s.[5] He was deputy director of the Victoria Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory in Melbourne from 1991 to 1993.[5]
Politics & Lanka Sama Samaja Party
Following retirement in 1994 Vitharana was a professor of microbiology at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura from 1995 to 2000 and an advisor to the Minister of Science and Technology from 1994 to 2001.[3][5]
Vitharana joined the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) in 1974.[1] On 20 January 2004 the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) formed the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA).[7] The Communist Party of Sri Lanka CPSL and LSSP joined the UPFA in February 2004.[8][9] Vitharana was appointed as a UPFA National List MP in the Sri Lankan Parliament following the 2004 parliamentary election.[10] He was appointed Minister of Science and Technology after the election.[11][12]
Vitharana was re-appointed as a UPFA National List MP following the 2010 parliamentary election.[13][14] He lost his cabinet position after the election but shortly afterwards, in May 2010, he was appointed Minister of Technology and Research.[15][16] He was promoted to Senior Minister of Scientific Affairs in November 2010.[17][18][19] He lost his cabinet position following the 2015 presidential election.
At the 2015 parliamentary election Vitharana was placed on the UPFA's list of National List candidates.[20][21] However, after the election he was not appointed to the National List.[22][23]
Governorship.
On December 4, 2019, Vitharana was appointed as Governor for the North Central Province, Sri Lanka.[24] He was sworn in before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.[25]
Awards
Vitharana was awarded the Vidya Jyothi title in the 2017 Sri Lankan national honours.[26][27]
Personal life
Vitharana is married to Kamini Meedeniya.[2][3] They have a son, Ranil.[2][3]
References
- ^ a b "Directory of Past Members: Tissa Vitarana". Parliament of Sri Lanka.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Epasinghe, Premasara (16 September 2010). "Prof. (Dr.) Tissa Vitharana MP — An outstanding sportsman". The Island (Sri Lanka).
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j ""Gamata Thakshanaya"". The Nation (Sri Lanka). 16 July 2006.
- ^ Gunewardene, Prasad (18 September 2007). "'Colvin, Unitary State and APRC Baby'". Daily News (Sri Lanka).
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Upali Tissa Vitarana" (PDF). Japan Science and Technology Agency.
- ^ "Alumni Newsletter of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine" (PDF). London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. 1999. p. 4.
- ^ "SLFP-JVP alliance signed in Colombo". TamilNet. 20 January 2004.
- ^ "LSSP, CP agree to join SLFP-JVP alliance". TamilNet. 15 February 2004.
- ^ . Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka). 15 February 2004. Archived from the original on 13 November 2004.
- ^ "UPFA list". The Island (Sri Lanka). 9 April 2004.
- ^ (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1335/24. 10 April 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 December 2014.
- ^ "The new UPFA Cabinet". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 11 April 2004.
- ^ (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1650/19. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 December 2014.
- ^ "UPFA names National list". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 21 April 2010.
- ^ "PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Appointments & c., by the President" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1652/36. 2 May 2010.
- ^ "4 Sri Lankan ministers, 6 deputy ministers take oaths". TamilNet. 5 May 2010.
- ^ (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1681/2. 22 November 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2014.
- ^ "NEW FACES BOOST CABINET AS HOPES RISE". The Nation (Sri Lanka). 28 November 2010.
- ^ Bhattacharjya, Satarupa (5 December 2010). "Not kicked upstairs due to doubtful loyalty: Vitharana". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
- ^ (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1923/02. 13 July 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015.
- ^ "UPFA, UNP national lists announced". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 13 July 2015.
- ^ (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1928/25. 21 August 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015.
- ^ "UPFA finalises National list". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 21 August 2015.
- ^ "Governor post for Tissa Vitharana". www.lankanewsweb.net. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ^ admin (2019-12-04). "Tissa Vitharana among two new Governors appointed". Colombo Gazette. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ^ "PART I : SECTION (I) – GENERAL Government Notifications NATIONAL HONOURS" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 2010/38. 17 March 2017.
- ^ "National Honours after 12 years". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 19 March 2017.