Champika Ranawaka
Encyclopedia
Ranawaka Arachchige Patali Champika Ranawaka (Sinhala:පාඨලී චම්පික රණවක) MP
(born 4 August 1965) is the current cabinet Minister of Power and Energy in the government of Mahinda Rajapaksa
. Originally a member of the Sihala Urumaya, a Sinhala
nationalist political party
, he joined the Jathika Hela Urumaya
(JHU) political party
along with members of the Sihala Urumaya as only supportive and advisory personal, when it was formed in 2004 to wield candidates who were all Buddhist monk
s, for Parliament in the 2004 general election
.
after being qualified from the Scholarship Examination. Been an all-rounder at different extra curricular activities, Champika got qualified from G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination ranking first from the Kalutara district to the Engineering faculty of the University of Moratuwa
.
He was an activist in the student movements in Sri Lanka during the late 1980s and was a member of the pro-J.V.P. student union. Quitting J.V.P. due to political and visionary reasons he formed the Non-political organization called, 'Janatha Mithuro' with some of his colleagues like Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero, Nishantha Warnasinghe and Malinda Seneviratne. 'Janatha Mithuro' was criticized for its right-wing anti-Tamil ideology and actions. In the 1993 presidential elections they backed the People's Alliance headed by Chandrika Kumaratunga
.
in 2007 they were offered a cabinet ministerial position. Since a ordained monk could not hold such a position Rev.Dr.Omalpe Sobhitha Thero resigned from his seat in parliament thus making way for Ranawaka to be nominated to parliament as a national list MP
(appointed by the party and not elected). Ranawaka then accepted the post of minister of environment and natural resources.
Minister Ranawaka contested the 2010 General Election under the UPFA from Colombo District and was placed third place by obtaining 120,333 votes securing membership in the Sri Lanka Parliament.
.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(born 4 August 1965) is the current cabinet Minister of Power and Energy in the government of Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Percy Mahendra "Mahinda" Rajapaksa ; ; born November 18, 1945) is the 6th and current President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970, and served as prime minister from April 6,...
. Originally a member of the Sihala Urumaya, a Sinhala
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
nationalist political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
, he joined the Jathika Hela Urumaya
Jathika Hela Urumaya
The Jathika Hela Urumaya is a political party in Sri Lanka which is led by Buddhist monks. The JHU was launched in February, 2004 by the lay-based, secular Sinhala nationalist political party Sihala Urumaya. Founding members include Kolonnawe Sumangala Thero, Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero, Ellawela...
(JHU) political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
along with members of the Sihala Urumaya as only supportive and advisory personal, when it was formed in 2004 to wield candidates who were all Buddhist monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s, for Parliament in the 2004 general election
Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 2004
Parliamentary elections were held in Sri Lanka on 2 April 2004. The ruling United National Party of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was defeated, winning only eighty two seats in the 225-member Sri Lankan parliament. The opposition United People's Freedom Alliance won 105 seats...
.
Early life
Champika Ranawaka entered Taxila Central College, HoranaTaxila Central College, Horana
Taxila flourished in the first half of the Nineteenth Century. The history Goes Back To the Period of the Buddhist School in Horana was Established As Taxila College....
after being qualified from the Scholarship Examination. Been an all-rounder at different extra curricular activities, Champika got qualified from G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination ranking first from the Kalutara district to the Engineering faculty of the University of Moratuwa
University of Moratuwa
The University of Moratuwa, located on the banks of the Bolgoda Lake in Katubedda, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, is a technological university in Sri Lanka. Apart from the academics including the undergraduate and postgraduate studies, university of Moratuwa presents a variety of social and cultural...
.
He was an activist in the student movements in Sri Lanka during the late 1980s and was a member of the pro-J.V.P. student union. Quitting J.V.P. due to political and visionary reasons he formed the Non-political organization called, 'Janatha Mithuro' with some of his colleagues like Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero, Nishantha Warnasinghe and Malinda Seneviratne. 'Janatha Mithuro' was criticized for its right-wing anti-Tamil ideology and actions. In the 1993 presidential elections they backed the People's Alliance headed by Chandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga born June 29, 1945) was the 4th Executive president of Sri Lanka, serving from November 12, 1994 to November 19, 2005. The daughter of two former Prime Ministers, she was also the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party until end of 2005...
.
Member of Parliament
When the JHU joined the government of Mahinda RajapaksaMahinda Rajapaksa
Percy Mahendra "Mahinda" Rajapaksa ; ; born November 18, 1945) is the 6th and current President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970, and served as prime minister from April 6,...
in 2007 they were offered a cabinet ministerial position. Since a ordained monk could not hold such a position Rev.Dr.Omalpe Sobhitha Thero resigned from his seat in parliament thus making way for Ranawaka to be nominated to parliament as a national list MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(appointed by the party and not elected). Ranawaka then accepted the post of minister of environment and natural resources.
Minister Ranawaka contested the 2010 General Election under the UPFA from Colombo District and was placed third place by obtaining 120,333 votes securing membership in the Sri Lanka Parliament.
Allegations of racism
In 2008 Ranawaka called the Muslim community in Sri Lanka 'outsiders' sparking widespread protests. As a government minister he has spearheaded moves to construct Buddhist temples in predominantly Tamil and Muslim areas leading to an increase in tensions. He used his former post as Minister of Environment to secure land for these constructions. Ranwaka has also openly called for the execution of individuals who do not support the government of Sri Lanka. He has publicly stated that all terrorists must be annihilated by any means and that 'if the law can't do it then other means must be used'. He has also called for the imprisonment and murder of journalists who questioned the war.Who the hell are these so called journalists in Sri Lanka? Who are these ‘Tamil Youth’? There are no such people. They are all NGO scum who depend on foreign money.
Criticism of international interventions
Ranawaka has also been critical of international intervention in Sri Lanka stating that anyone who takes action against Sri Lanka will be supporting terrorism. In April 2011 Ranawaka called the UN report on war crimes in Sri Lanka 'diplomatic terrorism'. Ranwaka has also opposed airstrikes against LibyaLibya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
.