Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana | |
|---|---|
| මහින්ද යාපා අබේවර්ධන மகிந்த யாப்பா அபேவர்தன | |
 Abeywardena in 2023 | |
| 21st Speaker of the Parliament | |
| Assumed office 20 August 2020 | |
| Deputy | Ranjith Siyambalapitiya Ajith Rajapakse |
| Preceded by | Karu Jayasuriya |
| Minister of Parliamentary Affairs | |
| In office February 2015 – May 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Sumedha Jayasena |
| Succeeded by | Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena |
| Minister of Agriculture | |
| In office 2010 – 12 January 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Maithripala Sirisena |
| Succeeded by | Duminda Dissanayake |
| Minister of Cultural Affairs | |
| In office 2005–2010 | |
| Preceded by | Vijitha Herath |
| Deputy Minister of Healthcare & Nutrition | |
| In office 2004–2005 | |
| Preceded by | Sajith Premadasa |
| Chief Minister of Southern Province | |
| In office 1994–2001 | |
| Preceded by | Amarasiri Dodangoda |
| Succeeded by | H. G. Sirisena |
| Member of Parliament for Matara District | |
| Assumed office 2001 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1945-10-10) 10 October 1945 (age 78) Beragama, Matara, Colony of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) |
| Political party | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna |
| Other political affiliations | Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance, United National Party |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | University of Colombo, Rahula College, Matara, Thelijjawila Central College |
| Occupation | Landed Proprietor |
| Profession | Politician |
Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena (born 10 October 1945) is a Sri Lankan politician and landed proprietor. He is the current Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament.[1]
He first entered parliament in 1983 as the Hakmana United National Party and has been active in politics for more than 30 years.[2]
Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena was a young MP when he openly criticised the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord for a new provincial councils system to be established in Sri Lanka. He along with Chandrakumara Wijeya Gunawardena, the member for Kamburupitiya voted against the bill in Parliament becoming the only two government members who voted against it. He was later removed by the then President J. R. Jayewardene from his Parliamentary seat for violation of the party rules by not voting for the bill.
He later joined hands with Gamini Dissanayake and Lalith Athulathmudali (who were also against the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord) as they too quit United National Party and formed the Democratic United National Front or aka 'Rajaliya-front'. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena then contested for Southern Provincial Council under DUNF and won. He was then elected as the opposition leader of the Southern Provincial Council in 1993, and he became the Chief Minister of the Southern Provincial Council in 1994. Elected twice as the Chief Minister he was in office from 1994 to 2001. He is said to be one of the most successful Chief Ministers from the south for developing the infrastructures that were neglected for more than 5 years due to the dark era of the country.
He left office to contest in the 2001 general elections and become an opposition MP and served until 2004. After the 2004 General elections, he became the Deputy Minister of Healthcare and later the Cabinet Minister for Cultural Affairs & National Heritage. After the 2010 General Elections, he was appointed as the Minister of Agriculture. Having been in office as the Minister of Agriculture for several years he was elected Vice Chairman at the 38th session of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations FAO Conference held in Rome, Italy in 2013.[3] He was again appointed as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs in 2015 for a brief period until he resigned and joined the opposition.
He is a representative of Matara District for the United People's Freedom Alliance in the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He resides in Kalubowila, Dehiwala.
