Gamini Lokuge | |
|---|---|
| ගාමිණී ලොකුගේ காமினி லோகுகே | |
 Lokuge in 2019 | |
| Minister of Energy[1] | |
| In office 3 March 2022 – 3 April 2022 | |
| President | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Prime Minister | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Preceded by | Udaya Gammanpila |
| Succeeded by | Kanchana Wijesekera[N 1] |
| Minister of Power[2] | |
| In office 16 August 2021 – 3 March 2022 | |
| President | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Prime Minister | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Preceded by | Dullas Alahapperuma |
| Succeeded by | Pavithra Wanniarachchi |
| Minister of Transport | |
| In office 12 August 2020 – 16 August 2021 | |
| President | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Prime Minister | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Preceded by | Mahinda Amaraweera |
| Succeeded by | Pavithra Wanniarachchi |
| Minister of State for Urban Development | |
| In office 27 November 2019 – 12 August 2020 | |
| President | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Prime Minister | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Minister | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Succeeded by | Nalaka Godahewa |
| Minister of Labour | |
| In office 9 November 2018 – 15 December 2018 | |
| President | Maithripala Sirisena |
| Prime Minister | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Deputy | Manusha Nanayakkara |
| Preceded by | Ravindra Samaraweera |
| Succeeded by | Daya Gamage |
| In office 23 April 2010 – 12 January 2015 | |
| President | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Prime Minister | D. M. Jayaratne |
| Preceded by | Athauda Seneviratne |
| Succeeded by | S. B. Nawinne |
| Minister for Sports and Public Recreation | |
| In office 28 January 2007 – 23 April 2010 | |
| President | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Prime Minister | Ratnasiri Wickremanayake |
| Preceded by | Jeewan Kumaranatunga |
| Succeeded by | C. B. Rathnayake |
| Minister of Tourism | |
| In office 12 December 2001 – 8 April 2004 | |
| President | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
| Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
| Preceded by | Lakshman Kiriella |
| Succeeded by | Anura Bandaranaike |
| Member of Parliament forColombo | |
| In office 9 March 1989 – 24 September 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament forKesbewa | |
| In office 18 May 1983[3] – 20 December 1988 | |
| Preceded by | Dharmasena Attygalle |
| Majority | 27,821 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gamini Kulawansa Lokuge (1943-05-08)8 May 1943 British Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) |
| Died | 30 June 2025(2025-06-30) (aged 82) Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Political party | SLPP (2019–2025) |
| Other political affiliations | |
| Alma mater | Ananda Sastralaya, Kotte |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Businessman |
Gamini Kulawansa Lokuge (Sinhala:ගාමිණී ලොකුගේ,Tamil:காமினி லோகுகே; 8 May 1943 – 30 June 2025) was a Sri Lankan politician. He was a member of theParliament of Sri Lanka for theColombo Electoral District between 1989 and 2024, and had previously representedKesbewa in theNational State Assembly from 1983 to 1989.[4][5] Throughout his time in Sri Lankan politics, Lokuge held many different cabinet positions, such as Minister of Power, Minister of Energy, Minister of Transport, Minister of Labour, Minister of Sports and Minister of Tourism, among many others, through many national governments. He also served as the President of theNational Employees Union as well as the head of theUnited National Party’s Public Service Trade Union.[6]
Lokuge was born on 8 May 1943 in Sri Lanka (thenBritish Ceylon). He received his primary education atAnanda Sastralaya inSri Jayawardenepura Kotte.[7]
Lokuge entered politics in 1960 as a member of theUnited National Party (UNP).[5] He contested his first election in 1983 and was elected to represent theKesbewa Electorate with a clear majority of 27,821 votes.[3] During his stint as MP for Kesbewa, he advocated for investments in schools and funding for temples in his electorate.[6] In 1989,PresidentRanasinghe Premadasa appointed Lokuge as theMinister of State for Tourism.[8] Following the UNP’s defeat in the1994 general election, he served on the opposition benches.[9]
In 2002, after the UNP regained a parliamentary pluralityin the previous year, he was appointedMinister of Tourism underthe government of PresidentChandrika Kumaratunga.[10] In 2006, Lokuge crossed the floor and joined the government of PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa.[5] Following his defection, he was appointed to several senior cabinet posts, including theMinister for Sports and Public Recreation in 2007 andMinister of Labour in 2010.[5] He held the labour portfolio until 2015, when Rajapaksa was defeated inthat year’s presidential election. Subsequently, Lokuge joined theJoint Opposition, opposing the presidency ofMaithripala Sirisena. Lokuge and other members of theJoint Opposition who were loyal toMahinda Rajapaksa then proceeded to form theSri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) to contest future elections.[11]
During the2018 constitutional crisis, Lokuge briefly returned to the cabinet and was sworn in as theMinister of Labour, Foreign Employment, and Petroleum Resources Development.[6] He held this position until rulings from the Supreme Court and no-confidence motions tabled in parliament led to the dissolution of theSirisena–Rajapaksa-led government.[12]
In the wake of theelection ofGotabaya Rajapaksa as president in 2019, Lokuge was appointedMinister of State for Urban Development.[13] Following the SLPP’s decisive victory in the2020 general elections, he was appointed as theMinister of Transport and was appointed to the Legislative Standing Committee.[14][15] In 2021, during a cabinet reshuffle, PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa appointed himMinister of Power.[16] During his stint as Minister of Energy, he proposed an expansion of the nation's power plant network and engaged in the possibility of connecting Sri Lanka's electric grid withIndia as well asSingapore.[17]
In 2022, a deepeningeconomic crisis marked by prolonged power cuts, some lasting for 13 hours at one point, occurred.[18] Lokuge was appointedMinister of Power on March 3 of that year, replacingUdaya Gammanpila, who was dismissed for criticizing government policy during the crisis.[19][1] However, as public unrest grew andlarge-scale protests erupted against the SLPP-led government, Lokuge resigned along with the rest of the cabinet on April 3.[19]
The political turmoil had dire personal consequences for Lokuge. His driver was killed by demonstrators, and during the violent protests on9 May 2022, his house was set on fire, though he would later gain compensation from the government for this.[20][21][22] He was not given a cabinet post in the subsequentRanil Wickremesinghe government, and he instead dedicated his time to organizing internal party responsibilities.[6] Citing health concerns, Lokuge did not contest the2024 general election from theColombo District and was instead named in the SLPP’s National list; however, he was never nominated to the17th Parliament.[6]
In May 1983, theAththa newspaper published a series of reports alleging widespread electoral malpractice and abuse of state resources during the parliamentary election campaign in the Kesbewa electorate, where Lokuge was the UNP candidate.[23] The newspaper alleged in its reports that vehicles used by the UNP in its campaign were allegedly, fitted with fake number plates, some of which matched registration numbers of decommissioned government vehicles, including a jeep which was found to have belonged to the Headquarters of the Anti-Malaria Campaign, a government agency.[24]
The reports further allege that UNP supporters engaged in acts of violence and threats of intimidation againstSri Lanka Freedom Party election observers and supporters at polling stations in areas of the electorate.[25] Many of these supporters and party organizers were reportedly arrested on what the paper described as false charges in the lead-up to the election in Kesbewa. The Aththa newspaper also reported in its paper how the UNP was allegedly engaging in vote-rigging efforts.[25] This is through including claims that government employees and individuals from outside the electorate were brought into Kesbewa to influence the outcome of the vote.[25] It can be pointed out that despite Lokuge winning in the electorate, no formal charges were ever brought against him or any other member of theUnited National Party in connection with the allegations.[6]
In 2011, Lokuge became involved in a dispute with fellow ministerMahindananda Aluthgamage over allegations that, during his time as Sports Minister, he had entered into a ten-year agreement with theBoard of Control for Cricket in India permitting Sri Lankan cricketers to participate in theIndian Premier League over national service. Lokuge strongly rejected the allegations.[26]
During his tenure as the labour minister under PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa, reforms were introduced to the state Employees’ Pension Fund which would have allowed private sector employees to receive a pension.[27] Public sector employees and trade union activists argued that the proposed amendment bill was brought without consultation, this eventually led to protests. One protest centred around the Katunayake Free Trade Zone, saw police fire into protesters, killing one and injuring many others.[6]
In 2021, Lokuge allegedly directly intervened to liftlockdown restrictions, placed on the city ofPiliyandala. Lokuge was strongly condemned by medical personnel in the country for harmingthe country’s Covid-19 response, as the restrictions were imposed to stop the spread of the illness.[6]
Lokuge died on 30 June 2025, at the age of 82, while receiving treatment at a private hospital inColombo.[28][29]
His remains were placed on display at his private residence for public viewing from 1 July to 3 July. His funeral took place on 3 July, at the Dole Kanatta Public Cemetery inPiliyandala.[30]
