Ranjit Atapattu Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Hon. Dr
Ranjit Atapattu
Order:Minister of Health
Term Start1:1982
Term End1:1989
Predecessor1:Siva Obeyesekere
Successor1:Renuka Herath
Term Start2:18 February 1989
Term End2:5 January 1990
Predecessor2:C. P. J. Seneviratne
Successor2:Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
Constituency Mp3:Beliatta
Parliament3:Sri Lanka
Term Start3:1977
Term End3:1989
Predecessor3:Mahinda Rajapaksa
Successor3:seat abolished
Constituency Mp4:Hambantota
Parliament4:Sri Lankan
Term Start4:9 March 1989
Term End4:24 June 1994
Birth Name:Ranjit Kanishka Parakrama Atapattu
Birth Date:29 April 1933
Birth Place:Tangalle, Sri Lanka
Death Place:Colombo
Nationality:Sri Lankan
Party:United National Party
Occupation:Politics
Spouse:Dreda
Relations:D. P. Atapattu (father)
Alma Mater:Royal College, Colombo, University of Ceylon
Profession:Physician

Ranjith Kanishka Parakrama Atapattu (29 April 1933  - 8 January 2018) was a Sri Lankan physician and politician.[1]

Biography

Ranjith Kanishka Parakrama Atapattu was born 29 April 1933[2] in Tangalle, the son of Don Peter (Member of Parliament for Beliatta and Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Minister of State).[3] He was educated at Royal College Colombo[4] and the University of Ceylon, between 1954 and 1960, where he obtained a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. Atapattu was employed as Medical Officer between 1960 and 1966, before establishing his own general medical practice.

Atapattu was first elected to parliament at the 8th parliamentary elections in July 1977,[5] representing the United National Party in the Beliatta electorate, where he defeated the sitting member, Mahinda Rajapaksa, by over 6,000 votes. President J. R. Jayewardene, reluctant to give up the massive majority his party secured in 1977, held a referendum to cancel the 1983 parliamentary elections, and extend the life of the 1977 parliament until 1989. Jayewardene also decreed that all United National Party parliamentarians, whose electoral districts had not supported the referendum, would have to run in a by-election. Atapattu resigned from his seat 10 February 1983[6] but was subsequently successful in the May 1983 by-elections, defeating Rajapaska by nearly 3,000 votes.[7]

Atapattu was appointed the Minister for Colombo Group of Hospitals (a project Ministry under the Ministry of Health) in August 1978.[8] He was then appointed the Minister of Health in the Jayewardene cabinet in 1982[9] and held the position until 1989. At the 1989 parliamentary elections he ran as the United National Party candidate in the Hambantota electorate and was duly elected with 10,381 preference votes (18.35%), behind Rajapkasa's 13,073 preference votes (23.11%).[10] In 18 February 1989 Atapattu was appointed Minister of Labour and Social Welfare as part of the Premadasa cabinet and held the position until 5 January 1990.[11]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Death of former Health Minister Dr. Ranjith Atapattu . Daily News . 12 January 2021.
  2. Web site: Hon. (Dr.) Atapattu, Ranjith Kaniska Parakrama, M.P.. Parliament of Sri Lanka. Directory of Past Members. 26 May 2017.
  3. News: DP: A man who was one with the people. Sunday Times. Sam. Wijesinha. 26 September 1999. 24 May 2017.
  4. Web site: Right Royal rally of old Royalists in the Sri Lanka Parliament. 11 February 2002. 24 May 2017.
  5. Web site: Result of Parliamentary General Election 1977 . Department of Elections, Sri Lanka . 24 May 2017.
  6. News: Saga of crossovers, expulsions and resignations etc. Referendum for extension of Parliament. Wimal. Wickramasinghe. The Island. 26 May 2017.
  7. Web site: Rajapaksa's backward somersault. October 13, 2016. Daily News. May 25, 2017.
  8. Book: Sri Lanka Year Book. Department of Census and Statistics. 1978. 82.
  9. Tribune. 26. 29–40. Ceylon News Service. 1982. 3.
  10. Web site: Result of Parliamentary General Election 1989. Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. 26 May 2017.
  11. Book: The Statesman's Year-Book 1990-91. Paxton, J. Springer. 2016. 1128. 9780230271197.