C. V. Vigneswaran Explained

C. V. Vigneswaran
Native Name:Tamil: க. வி. விக்னேஸ்வரன்
Sinhala; Sinhalese: සී. වී. විග්නේෂ්වරන්
Honorific-Suffix:MP PC
Office1:Member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka
Constituency1:Jaffna District
Term Start1:2020
Order2:1st
Office2:Chief Minister of the Northern Province
Term Start2:7 October 2013
Term End2:23 October 2018
Office3:Member of the Northern Provincial Council
Constituency3:Jaffna District
Term Start3:2013
Term End3:2018
Office4:Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
Term Start4:March 2001
Term End4:October 2004
Appointer4:Chandrika Kumaratunga
Birth Name:Canagasabapathy Visuvalingam Vigneswaran
Birth Date:23 October 1939
Birth Place:Colombo, Ceylon
Party:Tamil People's Alliance
Otherparty:Tamil People's National Alliance
Profession:Lawyer

Canagasabapathy Visuvalingam Vigneswaran, PC (Tamil: கனகசபாபதி விசுவலிங்கம் விக்னேஸ்வரன்|translit=Kaṉakacapāpati Vicuvaliṅkam Vikṉēsvaraṉ; Sinhala; Sinhalese: කනකසභාපති විශ්වලිංගම් විග්නේෂ්වරන්; born 23 October 1939) is a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer, judge, politician and Member of Parliament.[1] After practising law for more than 15 years, Vigneswaran was a member of the judiciary for 25 years. He was a magistrate and a judge of the District Court, High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He was Chief Minister of the Northern Province from October 2013 to October 2018. He was elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in August 2020. Vigneswaran is leader of the Tamil People's Alliance and the Tamil People's National Alliance.

Early life and family

Vigneswaran was born on 23 October 1939 in Hulftsdorp, Colombo, the capital of Ceylon.[1] [2] His parents were born in Manipay in northern Ceylon and he had two sisters.[2] [3] His father Canagasabapathy was a public official who worked in several parts of the country.[2] [3] Vigneswaran's grandfather was a cousin of statesmen P. Ramanathan and P. Arunachalam.[2]

Vigneswaran's father's work meant that the family moved often. Vigneswaran spent the first nine years of his life in Kurunegala and studied at Christchurch College.[2] The family then moved to Anuradhapura where Vigneswaran attended Holy Family Convent.[2] [3] Vigneswaran joined Royal College, Colombo aged 11.[2] [4] [5] After school Vigneswaran obtained B.A. degree from the University of London and LL.B. degree from the University of Ceylon.[2] [3] He then joined Ceylon Law College, qualifying as a proctor and an advocate.[2] [3] He was president of the Law Students’ Union at the college in 1962.[2] [3]

One of Vigneswaran's sons is married to the daughter of government minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara.[6] [7] His other son is married to the niece of former MP Keseralal Gunasekera.[2]

Vigneswaran is also a follower of the controversial guru Swami Premananda whom he has compared to Jesus and has requested that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi release three jailed followers of Premananda.[8] [9]

Career

Law

Vigneswaran practised of law for more than fifteen years.[3] [10] [11] He is a President's Counsel.[12] [13] He joined the Judicial Service on 7 May 1979.[5] [14] He served as a magistrate and District Judge in Batticaloa, Chavakachcheri and Mallakam.[5] [14] He became District Judge for Colombo in January 1987.[5] [14] He was appointed to the High Court in 1988, serving in Northern Province, Eastern, North Central, Uva and Western provinces.[5] He was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 1995.[5] [10]

Vigneswaran was appointed to the Supreme Court in March 2001.[15] He retired in October 2004.[16]

Politics

In April 2013 it was reported that Vigneswaran had been chosen by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to be its chief ministerial candidate in the upcoming election to Northern Provincial Council (NPC).[17] [18] The reports were denied by the TNA.[7] However, in July 2013, after nominations were called for the provincial council election, the TNA announced that Vigneswaran would be its chief ministerial candidate in the Northern Province.[19] [20] [21] He contested the provincial council election as one of the TNA's candidates in Jaffna District and was elected to the NPC.[22] [23] Vigneswaran received his chief ministerial appointment letter from Governor G. A. Chandrasiri on 1 October 2013.[24] [25] [26] He took his oath as chief minister and provincial councillor in front of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat on 7 October 2013.[27] [28] [29]

Vigneswaran's relationship with the TNA leadership deteriorated thereafter.[30] [31] In December 2015 he became leader of the newly formed Tamil People's Council (TPC), a forum to highlight issues affecting Sri Lankan Tamils.[32] [33] The TPC, which included civil society groups, religious leaders and academics as well as political parties, claimed that it wasn't political or an alternative to the TNA.[34] [35] On 24 October 2018, the day after he ceased being chief minister, Vigneswaran announced that he had formed a new political alliance, the Tamil People's Alliance (TPA, Thamizh Makkal Kootani).[36] [37]

In February 2020 the TPA joined with three other political parties to form the Tamil People's National Alliance (TPNA, Thamizh Makkal Tesiya Kootani) electoral alliance to contest the parliamentary election.[38] [39] Vigneswaran became the alliance's leader.[40] [41] He contested the 2020 parliamentary election as one of the TPNA's candidates in Jaffna District and was elected to the Parliament.[42] [43] [44]

Electoral history

Election! scope=col
Constituencyscope=col colspan="2"Partyscope=col colspan="2"Alliancescope=colVotesscope=colResult
Elected
2020 parliamentary[45] Elected

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Directory of Members: C.V.Wigneswaran . . 24 September 2020 . Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka.
  2. News: Wijedasa . Namini . 'I'm not a politician, I only wish to serve my suffering people' . 26 October 2018 . . 21 July 2013 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  3. News: Liyanasuriya . Sathya . Walking the political tightrope . 26 October 2018 . . 15 May 2014 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  4. News: Bastians . Dharisha . Justice on a razor's edge . 26 October 2018 . . 31 October 2004 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  5. News: Fernando . Susitha R. . Top Judge Hits Out at Judicial Process . The Daily Mirror / Jana Sammathaya (Asian Human Rights Commission) . 20 October 2004 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100319220632/http://newsletters.ahrchk.net/js/mainfile.php/0343/644/ . 19 March 2010.
  6. News: Hoole . Ratnajeevan . Mischief By Asian Tribune: The Northern Province Chief Minister Candidature . 26 October 2018 . Colombo Telegraph . 23 April 2013 . Ratnajeevan Hoole.
  7. News: Rajasingham . K. T. . Simmering discontent within TNA threatens to explode . 26 October 2018 . . 28 April 2013 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  8. News: Jeyaraj . D. B. S. . C.V.Wigneswaran hurts Christian sentiments . 27 October 2018 . . 22 April 2017 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  9. News: Karthick . S. . Lanka province CM seeks release of 3 convicts in Premananda . 27 October 2018 . . Times News Network . 24 April 2015 . Mumbai, India.
  10. Book: Peebles. Patrick. Historical Dictionary of Sri Lanka. 2015. Rowman & Littlefield. 978-1-4422-5584-5. 387.
  11. News: "Law and its sanction is based today on forced legitimacy" . 27 October 2018 . . 2 April 2013 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  12. News: Ilangamuwa . Nilantha . "Life has to be designed by your intellect and not by emotion" : An Interview with Justice C. V. Wigneswaran . 27 October 2018 . . 23 February 2014 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  13. News: Piyasena . Lakshman . 'Independence and corresponding power within a united country' . 27 October 2018 . . 1 March 2015 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  14. News: Maniccavasagar . Chelvatamby . Justice Wigneswaran - a multi-faceted personality . 26 October 2018 . . 2 November 2004 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  15. News: S.C Judge says Tamil rights were snatched away . 26 October 2018 . . 8 March 2001.
  16. News: Veteran Supreme Court Judge retires . 26 October 2018 . . 20 October 2004.
  17. News: Rajasingham . K. T. . Retd. Justice C.V. Wigneswaran: Chief Minister Candidate of Tamil National Alliance? . 26 October 2018 . . 19 April 2013 . Colombo, Sri Lanka . 23 May 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130523045006/http://asiantribune.com/node/62317 . dead .
  18. News: Peiris . Harim . TNA vs LTTE – The Northern Provincial Council stakes . 26 October 2018 . . 1 May 2013 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  19. News: Palakidnar . Ananth . Justice Vigneswaran TNA's CM choice . . 15 July 2013 . Colombo, Sri Lanka . https://web.archive.org/web/20130927120604/http://www.ceylontoday.lk/51-37730-news-detail-justice-vigneswaran-tnas-cm-choice.html . 27 September 2013.
  20. News: Justice Wigneswaran TNA CM candidate . 26 October 2018 . . 15 July 2013 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  21. Web site: Elections to the Northern Provincial Council . . 15 July 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130930164009/http://tnapolitics.org/en/elections-to-the-northern-provincial-council/ . 30 September 2013.
  22. Part I : Section (I) — General - Government Notifications - Provincial Council Elections Act, No. 2 of 1988 - Northern Province Provincial Council . The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary . 25 September 2013 . 1829/33 . 3A . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  23. News: Provincial Council Elections 2013 – Results and preferential votes: Northern Province . 24 September 2020 . . 26 September 2013 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  24. Web site: New Chief Minister appointed to Northern Provincial Council – 01 October 2013 . 26 October 2018 . . 1 October 2013 . Jafnna, Sri Lanka.
  25. Part IV (A) — Provincial Councils - Appointments &c., by the Governors - Northern Province Provincial Council - Appointment made by the Governor of the Northern Province . The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary . 7 October 2013 . 1831/01 . 26 October 2018 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  26. News: C.V. Vigneswaran receives appointment letter . . 1 October 2013 . Colombo, Sri Lanka . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150610201601/http://www.ceylontoday.lk/16-43934-news-detail-cv-vigneswaran-receives-appointment-letter.html . 10 June 2015.
  27. News: Wigneswaran takes oath as Northern Province CM . 27 October 2018 . . . 9 October 2013 . Chennai, India.
  28. News: Wigneswaran sworn-in as NPC CM . 26 October 2018 . . 7 October 2013 . Colombo, Sri Lanka . https://web.archive.org/web/20131010190355/http://www.dailymirror.lk/caption-story/36694-wigneswaran-sworn-in-as-ncp-cm.html . 10 October 2013 . dead .
  29. News: Sri Lanka poll: Tamil minister Wigneswaran says 'peace possible' . 26 October 2018 . . 7 October 2013 . London, U.K..
  30. News: Chandraprema . C. A. . Wigneswaran's new party: Debut at PC polls or Presidential election? . 27 October 2018 . . 26 October 2018 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  31. News: Balachandran . P. K. . Both Sampanthan and Wigneswaran seeking unity, but terms clash . 27 October 2018 . . 26 June 2018 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  32. News: Tamil People's Council inaugurated in Jaffna . 27 October 2018 . . 19 December 2015.
  33. News: TPC success depends on geopolitically addressing national question . 26 October 2018 . . 25 December 2015.
  34. News: New Tamil Group Not Alternative To TNA . 27 October 2018 . . 27 December 2015 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  35. News: Ramakrishnan . T. . Another Tamil group joins Tamil People's Council . 27 October 2018 . . 28 December 2015 . Chennai, India.
  36. News: Srinivasan . Meera . Wigneswaran floats new political party . 27 October 2018 . . 25 October 2018 . Chennai, India.
  37. News: Madushanka . Romesh . Wiggy parts ways with TNA, forms TPA . 27 October 2018 . . 24 October 2018 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  38. News: New alliance for North . 2 August 2020 . . 10 February 2020 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  39. News: Rajasingham . K. T. . Disgruntled Tamil elements form a new alliance to divides Tamils further . 2 August 2020 . . 10 February 2020 . Colombo, Sri Lanka . 21 February 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200221021933/http://www.asiantribune.com/node/93393 . dead .
  40. News: Jeyaraj . D. B. S. . How Will the TNA fare at Parliamentary Election? . 2 August 2020 . . 24 March 2020 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  41. News: Polls at last; lacklustre election campaign ends tonight . 2 August 2020 . . 2 August 2020 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  42. Part I : Section (I) — General - Government Notifications - Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981 . The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary . 8 August 2020 . 2187/26 . 5A . 9 August 2020 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  43. News: General Election 2020: Preferential votes of Jaffna District . 24 September 2020 . . 7 August 2020 . Colombo, Sri Lanka . 27 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201027094033/https://ceylontoday.lk/news/general-election-2020-preferential-votes-of-jaffna-district . dead .
  44. News: Jeyaraj . D. B. S. . TNA suffers electoral setback in North and East polls . 24 September 2020 . . 8 August 2020 . Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  45. News: General Election Preferential Votes . 20 September 2020 . . 8 August 2020 . Colombo Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka . 2.

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