Death of former Polls chief
R.K. Chandrananda de Silva, most famous as a long-time Commissioner
of Elections during many controversial polls, passed away yesterday
morning at his resident at Rajagiriya. He was 78 years of age.
After retiring from a lengthy career in elections administrator, De
Silva later served briefly as Secretary Defence and as an Advisor to
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.
A former student of Rahula College, Matara de Silva was appointed an
Assistant Elections Commissioner in 1960 and thereafter held several
senior administrative positions such as Government Agent, Polonnaruwa
and Kurunegala and additional GA Matara in addition to being Senior
Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs. He assumed duties as
Elections Commissioner in May 1982 and conducted Presidential Elections
in 1982 and 1988 and Parliamentary Elections in 1982, 1989 and 1994. He
was the first civilian to head the Defence Ministry after the separatist
insurgency broke out in 1980s.
Publicity-shy, but a friend of media he once said, “My doors are open
to anyone from the Press”. He defied President J.R. Jayawardene calling
the 1982 referundum a mockery of democracy. His tenure as Defence
Secretary was marked with turbulence when he was cited as a respondent
in many Fundamental Rights cases and pressure exerted on him in view of
the military setbacks during the LTTE attacks on Pooneryn and Mullaitivu
security camps and the Kolonnawa Oil installations.
He resigned from the Defence Secretary post in December 2001 when he
was nominated Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner for Canada, the Canadian
Government declined to accept him due to pressure by the LTTE lobby.
He was appointed Advisor to President Chandrika Bandaranaike
Kumaratunga.
He is one of those who advocated that the present voting system
should be replaced by something similar to the German system. |