Search This Blog

Thursday, September 3, 2015

New Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka

It is customary for me to post news items pertaining to families of members of our batch. As you would have heard by now, a new Speaker for Sri Lanka's 15th Parliament has just been elected. He is none other than Deshabandu Karu Jayasuriya. We all know him as the husband of our class mate in Medical School Wasantha Owitigala Jayasuriya. 



Deshabandu Karu Jayasuriya was born on 29 September 1940. He has held a number of important positions as a Sri Lankan politician. Previously, he was Mayor of Colombo from 1997 to 1999, Minister of Power and Energy from 2001 to 2004, Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs from 2007 to 2008, and Minister of Buddha Sasana, Public Administration, and Democratic Governance in 2015. He served as Chairman of the Leadership Council of the United National Party (UNP), as well as Deputy Leader of the UNP. He is presently a Member of Parliament (appointed through the National List). He received his early education at Ananda College, Colombo. Under President Ranasinghe Premadasa's government, Karu Jayasuriya was appointed as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Germany.

 On a more personal note, I must also mention that I had the privilege of being classmates of both the husband and wife at different times. While Wasantha was in my batch in Medical College, Karu was my classmate in Form II B at Ananda College in 1953 when another former Minister S.K.K. Suriarachchi was our class master.
Posted by at
Labels:

10 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 4, 2015 at 11:40 PM

    Thanks Luckey for the information and the insight.
    Did not realise that Mr.Karu Jayasuriya was married to our Vasantha Oviitigala!!

    Vasantha, I hope you follow our Blog -- wish you, your Husband and Family all the very best and every success for the future. Hope & wish you and your family are in the best of health as well.

    Razaque Ahamat

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dr Nihal D AmerasekeraSeptember 5, 2015 at 12:52 AM

    Our best wishes to Karu and Vasantha.
    Being speaker must be a tough job maintaining order and decorum in that mayhem of parliament. Like MP's all round the globe they are a law unto themselves with bulging egos
    ND

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousSeptember 5, 2015 at 1:48 AM

    ND,
    Amen -- AMEEN(in ARABIC)
    Politics and Politicians -- the bane of our lives & the curse of this world -- on par with followers of Religions NOT Religions per-se!!
    Rather harsh, but true.
    RAZAQUE

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dr Nihal D AmerasekeraSeptember 5, 2015 at 2:02 AM

      Raz
      I couldnt agree with you more. There is much I want to say but will refrain because of our respect for Karu and Vasantha. Sometimes silence speaks volumes.
      ND

      Delete
    2. AnonymousSeptember 5, 2015 at 2:14 PM

      ND,
      True enough ALL Politicians should not be daubed by the same brush and certainly my comments were NOT directed at Vasantha or at Karu. I sincerely do apologise if it has caused any 'offence or hurt' to these good folk. I should have added the pre-fix "SOME" to the word Politicians' and I was 'firing from the hip' at the time !!!!.
      I certainly stand by my comments of "followers of Religions" However, I have the greatest respect to' ALL Religions and their GREAT Leaders, but its followers is another matter!!.
      I am of course a 'Muslim' as I happened to be born one and not by choice, but as you all are aware only a "NOMINAL FOLLOWER" being a 'teetotaller' between prayers and 'fasting' at Ramadan between meals.... so much for my Religion!!!!!

      Raz.

      Delete
    3. AnonymousSeptember 6, 2015 at 6:05 AM

      Made an error in saying " 'teetotaller' between prayers', it should be "quenching my thirst with BARLEY WATER BETWEEN MEALS" !!! -- absolute truth.....
      Razaque

      Delete
    4. AnonymousSeptember 6, 2015 at 6:09 AM

      Again an error -- ....MEALS, should read PRAYERS!!!
      Raz

      Delete
  4. ZitaSeptember 5, 2015 at 4:09 AM

    Thanks, Lucky, for that news! I met Karu a few times with Wasantha. He is really down to earth and he makes you feel he's known you a long time. I wish him all the best in his new position.
    Zita

    ReplyDelete
  5. MahendraSeptember 5, 2015 at 7:20 AM

    I recall meeting him at Hikkaduwa and also at one of Pram's "do's". I remember him calling for "Regime change". I am afraid I am also in the select group of people who haven't much faith in politicians! Nothing personal Karu, because I really don't know enough about you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Srianee DiasSeptember 7, 2015 at 7:07 AM

    I wish Karu and Vasantha the very best. He will have his hands full keeping the MPs in order! I also had the pleasure of meeting him at our Hikkaduwa reunion and thought that he was very friendly. I am hopeful that things are turning around in Sri Lanka, but I can't say the same for the U.S., when there is a possibility of President Donald Trump!! I think that President Maithripla Sirisena is setting a refreshing new tone in the country. Srianee

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)