Several senior ministers of previous government defeated

• Nimal Siripala de  Silva, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Susil Premajayantha included among them

By Yohan Perera   

A number of long-standing MPs who served as ministers,  deputy ministers and state ministers have been voted out by constituents  at their respective electoral districts.   

Former Minister of Ports and Aviation Nimal Siripala de  Silva who was in Parliament since 1989 have been defeated for the first  time after 35 years in the Badulla District. Among the defeated MPs are  also Pavithra Wanniarachchi who has been in Parliament since 1994. She  held ministerial positions under successive governments and supported  former President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the last Presidential Election. In the Colombo District, Mr. Susil Premajayantha who was in Parliament for 24 years has been voted out. 

EPDP Leader Douglas Devananda who was in the House since  1994 representing the Jaffna District is another senior Minister who has  been defeated. Mahinda Amaraweera who has also served as an MP for 20  years in the House also suffered the same fate.   

In addition, former Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana  Wijesekera who was first elected to office in 2020 and former Minister  Ramesh Pathirana who was first elected to office in 2010 were also  defeated.   

Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara, who were Ministers in the previous regime for a brief period, also suffered defeat  in the General Election. Both were first elected to the House in 2010.   

In the Anuradhapura District, S.M. Chandrasena and Duminda  Dissanayake are among the long-serving politicians who lost this time.  Former MP Nimal Lanza has been voted out in the Gampaha District.  
Sarath Weerasekara of SLPP, M.A. Sumanthiran of ITAK are among the losers this time.