Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena

Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena (born 10 October 1945) is a Sri Lankan politician and land proprietor. He was the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka from 2020 to 2024.

Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana MP
මහින්ද යාපා අබේවර්ධන மகிந்த யாப்பா அபேவர்தன
Abeywardena in 2023
21st Speaker of the Parliament
In office 20 August 2020 – 24 September 2024
Deputy	Ranjith Siyambalapitiya Ajith Rajapakse
Preceded by	Karu Jayasuriya
Succeeded by	Ashoka Ranwala
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
In office February 2015 – May 2015
Preceded by	Sumedha Jayasena
Succeeded by	Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena
Minister of Agriculture
In office 2010 – 12 January 2015
Preceded by	Maithripala Sirisena
Succeeded by	Duminda Dissanayake
Minister of Cultural Affairs
In office 2005–2010
Preceded by	Vijitha Herath
Deputy Minister of Healthcare & Nutrition
In office 2004–2005
Preceded by	Sajith Premadasa
3rd Chief Minister of Southern Province
In office 1994–2001
Preceded by	Amarasiri Dodangoda
Succeeded by	H. G. Sirisena
Member of Parliament for Matara District
In office 2001 – 24 September 2024
Personal details
Born	(1945-10-10) 10 October 1945 Beragama, Matara, Colony of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
Political party	Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
Other political affiliations	Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance, United National Party
Children	5
Alma mater	University of Colombo, Rahula College, Matara, Thelijjawila Central College
Occupation	Land Proprietor
Profession	Politician

Political career

He first entered parliament in 1983 as part of the Hakmana United National Party and has been active in politics for more than 30 years.

Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena was a young MP when he openly criticised the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord for a new provincial councils system to be established in Sri Lanka. He along with Chandrakumara Wijeya Gunawardena, the member for Kamburupitiya voted against the bill in Parliament becoming the only two government members who voted against it. He was later removed by the then President J. R. Jayewardene from his Parliamentary seat for violation of the party rules by not voting for the bill.

He later joined hands with Gamini Dissanayake and Lalith Athulathmudali (who were also against the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord) as they too quit United National Party and formed the Democratic United National Front or aka 'Rajaliya-front'. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena then contested for Southern Provincial Council under DUNF and won. He was then elected as the opposition leader of the Southern Provincial Council in 1993, and he became the Chief Minister of the Southern Provincial Council in 1994. Elected twice as the Chief Minister he was in office from 1994 to 2001. He is said to be one of the most successful Chief Ministers from the south for developing the infrastructures that were neglected for more than 5 years due to the dark era of the country.

He left office to contest in the 2001 general elections and become an opposition MP and served until 2004. After the 2004 General elections, he became the Deputy Minister of Healthcare and later the Cabinet Minister for Cultural Affairs & National Heritage. After the 2010 General Elections, he was appointed as the Minister of Agriculture. Having been in office as the Minister of Agriculture for several years he was elected Vice Chairman at the 38th session of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations FAO Conference held in Rome, Italy in 2013. He was again appointed as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs in 2015 for a brief period until he resigned and joined the opposition.

He is a representative of Matara District in the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He resides in Kalubowila, Dehiwala.

No-confidence motion

Abeywardena who was a Rajapakse ally was mostly criticized by opposition and media for acting bias from the speaker's seat. On 5 March 2024, the main opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya handed over a no confidence motion against him and claiming his actions to failure to protect the constitution by signing the Online Safety Bill and ignored the Supreme Court’s recommendations pertaining to Sections 13, 17, 20, 33 (6), 34 (1), 35 (1), 21, 22 and 33. This was the first no confidence motion against a Speaker of Parliament in the history of Sri Lanka. He was also criticized for being blatantly violated at the constitutional council to appoint inspector general of police, when we did not have the voting authority, but cast his vote.

See also

• Cabinet of Sri Lanka

External links

• Parliament of Sri Lanka profile