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Don Edwin Weerasinghe Gunasekera (born 4 March 1935) is a Sri Lankan politician, former Member of Parliament and former cabinet minister. He is the current leader of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka (CPSL), a member of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA).[1]
D. E. W. Gunasekera | |
|---|---|
ඩී. ඊ. ඩබ්. ගුණසේකර | |
| Minister of Constitutional Reform | |
| In office May 2004 – April 2010 | |
| Preceded by | G. L. Peiris |
| Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms | |
| In office April 2010 – November 2010 | |
| Succeeded by | Chandrasiri Gajadeera |
| Senior Minister of Human Resources | |
| In office November 2010 – 12 January 2015 | |
| Member of Parliament for National List | |
| In office 2004–2015 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 March 1935 Kivula, Ceylon |
| Political party | Communist Party of Sri Lanka |
| Other political affiliations | United People's Freedom Alliance |
| Alma mater | Vidyalankara University |
| Occupation | Civil servant |
Gunasekera was born 4 March 1935 in Kivula in southern Ceylon.[2][3] He was educated at Rahula College in Matara.[4][5] After school he joined Vidyalankara University in the 1950s, graduating with a degree in economics.[3]
Gunasekera joined Ceylon Law College in the early 1970s but was expelled for attempting to cheat.[6]
After Vidyalankara Gunasekera worked at the Inland Revenue Department for many years.[3]
Gunasekera joined the Communist Party of Ceylon in 1958.[3] He wrote for the party's newspaper Mawbima and was a youth leader.[3] He later became a member of the party's central committee and eventually the party's general secretary.[3]
In 1988 the CPSL, Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), Nava Sama Samaja Party and Sri Lanka People's Party formed the United Socialist Alliance (USA).[7] Gunasekera was one of the USA's candidates in Matara District at the 1989 parliamentary election but the USA failed to win any seats in the district.[8][9] On 20 January 2004 the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) formed the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA).[10] The CPSL and LSSP joined the UPFA in February 2004.[11][12] Gunasekera was appointed as a UPFA National List MP in the Sri Lankan Parliament following the 2004 parliamentary election.[13] Gunasekera was put forward as the UPFA's candidate for Speaker but was defeated by opposition candidate W. J. M. Lokubandara after three dramatic rounds of voting in Parliament.[14][15][16] Gunasekera was appointed Minister of Constitutional Reform in May 2004.[17] He was given the additional portfolio of National Integration on 28 January 2007.[18][19]
Gunasekera was re-appointed as a UPFA National List MP following the 2010 parliamentary election.[20][21] He was appointed Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms after the election.[22][23] He was promoted to Senior Minister of Human Resources in November 2010.[24][25] He lost his cabinet position following the 2015 presidential election.
At the 2015 parliamentary election Gunasekera was placed on the UPFA's list of National List candidates.[26][27] However, after the election he was not appointed to the National List.[28][29]
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| Election | Constituency | Party | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 parliamentary[9] | Matara District | USA | 2,735 | Not elected |
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