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Donald Ranaweera | |
|---|---|
| Member of theCeylonese Parliament forMaskeliya | |
| In office 1960–1960 | |
| Preceded by | S. Jinadasa |
| Succeeded by | Edmund Wijesuriya |
| Member of theCeylonese Parliament forNuwara Eliya | |
| In office 1965–1970 | |
| Preceded by | T. William Fernando |
| Succeeded by | Gamini Dissanayake |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1924-03-20)20 March 1924 |
| Political party | United National Party |
| Occupation | plantation owner andpress baron |
Donald Jasen Ranaweera (20 March 1921 - 26 December 2000) was aSri Lankanplantation owner,press baron and politician. He was the Chairmen of theTimes of Ceylon and served as themember of parliament fromMaskeliya (1960) andNuwara Eliya (1965-1970).[1]
Born to a wealthy land and plantation owning family from Yatiyana,Matara. He was Educated atSt.Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia andTrinity College, Kandy.The family fortune was founded by his grandfather, Yatiyana Ralahamay. Donald Ranaweera's father, Don Andreas Ranaweera expanded the land and wealth he inherited from his father, Yatiyana Ralahamy. He also bought the Panilkanda Estate inDeniyaya and later acquired Fetteresso and Attabagie Group inDickoya andGampola. Yatiyana 'Sisiragiri' Walawua was also built by his father Don Andreas Ranaweera and it was the family seat where he served as the Chairman of the local village council.[2]
Taking over the family businesses, Donald J Ranaweera became a wealthy financier owning several plantations and served as the Chairman of theTimes of Ceylon withH. W. Amarasuriya serving as Deputy Chairmen.[3][4] D. J. Ranaweera along with H. W. Amarasuriya were the two wealthiest landed proprietors of post-independent Ceylon.
Donald Ranaweera was elected from theMaskeliya electorate from theUnited National Party in the1960 March general election defeating the incumbentS. Jinadasa from theMahajana Eksath Peramuna andP. Gamini Ariyatilake from theLanka Sama Samaja Party. He was defeated in the1960 July general election byEdmund Wijesuriya of theSri Lanka Freedom Party. He then contested the1965 general election from theNuwara Eliya electorate from the United National Party and won. In 1970, he was refused nominations from the United National Party for the1970 general election from Nuwara Eliya in favor of the youngGamini Dissanayake byDudley Senanayake, whose first bid for parliament in the 1970 general election from his late father's party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party had been refused in favor ofT. William Fernando. The angered Ranaweera, contested the 1970 general election from theMaskeliya electorate as an independent and polled fourth. In the 1970s he lost most of his holdings to government takeover. His plantations were nationalized under the land reforms and the Ceylon Times Group following several years of financial mismanagement was nationalized under the Sri Lanka Freedom Party government.[5]
He was appointed aJustice of Peace and aMember of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the1955 Birthday Honours for public services.
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He married Sumithra Rambukwelle, they had ten children and their daughter Kalyani Viveca, married Dr Shirantha Ratwatte.
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