Ramesh Pathirana

Ramesh Pathirana is a Sri Lankan politician, a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka and former Minister of Health.^[1] He previously served as the Minister of Plantation Industries, Minister of Industries and Minister of Education.^[2]He belongs to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.^[3] He was educated at Richmond College, Galle and University of Peradeniya. He is a physician by profession and is the son of former Education and Higher Education minister Richard Pathirana.

Hon. Ramesh Pathirana MP
රමේෂ් පතිරණ ரமேஷ் பத்திரண
Minister of Health
In office 23 October 2023 – 23 September 2024
President	Ranil Wickramasinghe
Prime Minister	Dinesh Gunawardena
Preceded by	Keheliya Rambukwella
Succeeded by	Harini Amarasuriya
Minister of Industries
In office 20 May 2022 – 23 September 2024
President	Gotabaya Rajapaksa Ranil Wickramasinghe
Prime Minister	Ranil Wickramasinghe Dinesh Gunawardena
Preceded by	Dilum Amunugama[N 1]
Minister of Plantations
In office 22 November 2019 – 23 October 2023
President	Gotabaya Rajapaksa Ranil Wickramasinghe
Prime Minister	Mahinda Rajapaksa Ranil Wickramasinghe Dinesh Gunawardena
Preceded by	Navin Dissanayake
Succeeded by	Mahinda Amaraweera
Minister of Education
In office 18 April 2022 – 9 May 2022
President	Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime Minister	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Preceded by	Navin Dissanayake
Succeeded by	Susil Premajayantha
Member of Parliament for Galle District
Incumbent
Assumed office 2010
Personal details
Born	(1969-05-12) 12 May 1969 (age 55)
Political party	Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
Other political affiliations	Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance
Alma mater	Richmond College (Sri Lanka), University of Peradeniya
Profession	Physician

Political career

He was appointed as Minister of Plantation Industries and Export Agriculture on 22 November 2019.^[4][5]

He was appointed as Minister of Plantation on 12 August 2020 by the SLPP government.^[6][7]

Political Interference in the Police

After the 20th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution reduced the independence of the police Ramesh Pathirana was accused by other SLPP MPs of assuming the power of the police chief. SLPP legislator Chandima Weerakkody claimed that all police transfers were done according to letters sent by Pathirana where many OICs were appointed according to political ties rather than merit where many inexperienced officers were promoted over senior experienced officers. Thus the police was incapable of handling the mass violence that occurred when loyalists of Mahinda Rajapaksa including those brought by Pathirana attacked peaceful protestors on 9 May 2022. The resulting retaliatory riots destroyed many houses of Rajapaksa loyalists including that of Pathirana as the politicised police was incapable was handling the situation.^[8]

Elections

Elected to parliament first in 2010.^[9]

In the 2020 general elections held on 5 August 2020 he won the highest preferential votes of 205,814 in the Galle district.^[10]

Notes

1. As Minister of Transport and Industries

References

1. "Cabinet reshuffle: New health and environment ministers appointed". Ada Derana. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
2. "President appoints new 17-member Cabinet". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
3. "RAMESH PATHIRANA". Directory of Members. Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
4. "Sri Lanka : Sri Lanka\'s interim cabinet under new President sworn-in". www.colombopage.com. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
5. "New Cabinet sworn in - Sri Lanka Latest News". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 2019-11-22. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
6. "Sri Lanka President appoints cabinet ministers, state ministers". EconomyNext. 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
7. "නව ඇමැති මණ්ඩලය". www.lankadeepa.lk (in Sinhala). Retrieved 2020-08-12.
8. "Sri Lanka's ex-minister assumed police chief's powers". EconomyNext. 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
9. "14th Parliament of Sri Lanka", Wikipedia, 2020-06-15, retrieved 2020-08-07
10. Pathirana, Ramesh (7 August 2020). "Preferential votes of Galle District released". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 2020-08-07.