Upali Samarasinghe Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Hon.
Rathnayake Hettige Upali Samarasinghe
Native Name:
Honorific-Suffix:MP
Office:National List Member of Parliament
Term Start:21 November 2024
President:Anura Kumara Dissanayake
Primeminister:Harini Amarasuriya
Constituency Mp1:Vanni Electoral District
Parliament1:Sri Lanka
Nationality:Sri Lankan
Party:Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
Otherparty:National People's Power

Rathnayake Hettige Upali Samarasinghe (si|රත්නායක හෙට්ටිගේ උපාලි සමරසිංහ, ta|ரத்னாயக்க ஹெட்டிகே உபாலி சமரசிங்க) is a Sri Lankan politician and long-time member of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). He was appointed as a National List Member of Parliament in 2024 under the National People's Power (NPP) government.[1] [2]

Political Career

Samarasinghe has been associated with the JVP for many years, contributing to political and social activism. He contested the 2024 Sri Lankan parliamentary election from the Vanni District but did not secure a seat through preferential votes due to the lower percentage of Sinhala voters compared to Tamil voters in the region.[3] Despite this, he was selected as a National List MP, emphasizing NPP's commitment to promoting regional representation and inclusion.

Samarasinghe's candidacy marks a historic milestone as he is the first Sinhalese representative from the Northern Province to be nominated from the national list and the only Sinhalese representative from the Northern Province to represent the 17th parliament.

Background

In the 2013 Provincial Council Election, he served as the Authorized Agent for the JVP in the Vavuniya District.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NPP appoints two defeated candidates as NL MPs. The Island. 18 November 2024.
  2. Web site: The Gazette Extraordinary – No.2410/07 – Friday, November 15, 2024 – Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981 . Election Commission of Sri Lanka . 15 November 2024 . 16 November 2024 . 16 November 2024 . https://archive.today/20241116163059/http://www.documents.gov.lk/files/egz/2024/11/2410-07_E.pdf . live.
  3. Web site: Vanni District Election Results. Ada Derana. 18 November 2024.
  4. Web site: Nomination Process for the 2013 Northern Province Provincial Council Election. 18 November 2024.