Sons of political stalwarts elected to Parliament

by Manjula FERNANDO

As historic as the mandate received by UPFA itself, the new seventh parliament will see the sons of the President, Premier and the Speaker entering the Chamber along with a fairly big team of debutantes when it is convened for the first time after elections on April 22.

President's son Namal Rajapaksa who turned 24 on Saturday, Prime Minister's son Vidura Wickremanayake, 53 and the Speaker's son Udith Sanjaya Lokubandara have been elected from their respective districts in the backdrop of several party stalwarts and many senior politicians meeting their `waterloo' at Thursday's poll.Topping the Hambantota preferential list, Namal secured 147,566 votes while Vidura and Udith bagged 50,114 from Kalutara and 38,124 from Badulla districts respectively.

Udith came 4th in the preferential list and Vidura was the last man.

Among the big names who have lost their parliamentary seats in the April 8 poll are Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, Justice and Law Reforms Minister Milinda Moragoda, Enterprise Development Minister Mano Wijeratne, Housing Minister Ferial Ashraff, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Hussein Bhaila, Livestock Deputy Minister K.A.Baiz and Social Service and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Lionel Premasiri.

Nandana Gunatilleke, Lal Kantha, Wadiwel Suresh and Anjan Umma have also lost their parliamentary seats.Some UNP stalwarts who did not make it to the Parliament are UNP group leaders for Galle and Matara districts Vajira Abeywardena and Sagala Ratnayake, Renuka Herath and late Alick Aluvihare's eldest son Ranjith Aluvihare.

His younger brother Wasantha Aluvihare has been elected from Matale district.

Among the ex-TNA MPs who have lost their seats are Gajendra Kumar Ponnambalam, Thangeswari Kathiraman, Sivanathan Kishore, Kajendran Selvarajah, Pathmini Sithamparanathan and Chandrakanthan Chandra Nerhu.