Wijayapala Mendis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chief Opposition Whip | |
| In office 25 August 1994 – 21 July 1998 | |
| Leader of the House | |
| In office 7 May 1993 – 24 June 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Ranil Wickramasinghe |
| Succeeded by | Ratnasiri Wickremanayake |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 December 1928 |
| Died | 1 September 2012(2012-09-01) (aged 83) |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Political party | United National Party |
| Other political affiliations | People's Alliance |
| Spouse | Nanda de Silva[1] |
| Children | 4[1] |
| Alma mater | Maris Stella College,Negombo Harischandra National College,Negombo |
| Occupation | Politician |
Thenahandi Wijayapala Hector Mendis (16 December 1928 – 1 September 2012) was aSri Lankan politician and a member of theParliament of Sri Lanka.
Mendis was born on 16 December 1928, third child of the formerMayor of Negombo,Mudliyar David Mendis and Magilin.[1] He began his political career by joiningUnited National Party Youth League of Negombo at age 19 and in 1955 he was elected Mayor of Negombo at the age of 26, becoming the youngest person to hold the position.[1]
In 1960 he entered Parliament from theKatana electorate as a United National Party candidate, and was re-elected in 1965[2] when he was promoted toParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works, Post and Telecommunications.[3] Except for a brief period after the defeat at the1970 general election[4] he represented the seat until 1989. After the landslide victory by theUnited National Party in the1977 general election, he was appointed Minister of Textile Industries in 1977 and in 1989 he was Minister of Transport and Highways.[3] In 1993 after the assassination of PresidentPremadasa andRanil Wickremesinghe became Prime Minister, he was appointedLeader of the House.[5]
Mendis became theChief Opposition Whip[6] after the1994 parliamentary election until 1998 when he joined thePeople's Alliance Government with theUnited National Party alternative group in opposition to theUnited National Party leadership.[3] He lost his seat in 2001.
He was married to Nanda de Silva for 59 years.[7] They had three daughters and one son, Manouri, Davindra, Dilupa and Nadika.[8]
Wijayapala Mendis died on 1 September 2012 at the age of 83.
 | ||
| ||
| Central Province |
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Province |
| ||||||
| Northern Province |
| ||||||
| North Central Province |
| ||||||
| North Western Province |
| ||||||
| Sabaragamuwa Province |
| ||||||
| Southern Province |
| ||||||
| Uva Province |
| ||||||
| Western Province |
| ||||||
| National List (29) |
| ||||||
| Central Province |
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Province |
| ||||||
| Northern Province |
| ||||||
| North Central Province |
| ||||||
| North Western Province |
| ||||||
| Sabaragamuwa Province |
| ||||||
| Southern Province |
| ||||||
| Uva Province |
| ||||||
| Western Province |
| ||||||
| National List (29) | |||||||
| Central Province (24) |
|
|---|---|
| Eastern Province (12) | |
| Northern Province (14) | |
| North Central Province (10) | |
| North Western Province (19) |
|
| Sabaragamuwa Province (17) | |
| Southern Province (21) |
|
| Uva Province (12) | |
| Western Province (39) |
|
| Central Province (23) |
|
|---|---|
| Eastern Province (11) | |
| Northern Province (13) | |
| North Central Province (8) | |
| North Western Province (16) | |
| Sabaragamuwa Province (16) |
|
| Southern Province (19) |
|
| Uva Province (10) | |
| Western Province (35) |
|
| Appointed (6) | *Appointed MPs were abolished in 1972 by theFirst Republican Constitution |
| Central Province (23) |
|
|---|---|
| Eastern Province (11) | |
| Northern Province (13) | |
| North Central Province (8) | |
| North Western Province (16) | |
| Sabaragamuwa Province (17) | |
| Southern Province (19) |
|
| Uva Province (10) | |
| Western Province (35) |
|
| Appointed (6) | |
| Central Province (23) |
|
|---|---|
| Eastern Province (11) | |
| Northern Province (13) | |
| North Central Province (8) | |
| North Western Province (16) | |
| Sabaragamuwa Province (17) | |
| Southern Province (19) |
|
| Uva Province (10) | |
| Western Province (35) |
|
| Appointed (6) | |
| Central Province (23) |
|
|---|---|
| Eastern Province (11) | |
| Northern Province (13) | |
| North Central Province (8) | |
| North Western Province (16) | |
| Sabaragamuwa Province (17) | |
| Southern Province (19) |
|
| Uva Province (10) | |
| Western Province (35) |
|
| Appointed (6) | |
.svg)