Tissa Vitharana | |
---|---|
තිස්ස විතාරණ திஸ்ஸ விதாரண | |
Governor of North Central Province | |
In office December 2019 – 23 March 2020 | |
Preceded by | Sarath Ekanayake |
Succeeded by | Maheepala Herath |
Minister of Science and Technology | |
In office April 2004 – April 2010 | |
Succeeded by | Himself (as Minister of Technology and Research) |
Minister of Technology and Research | |
In office May 2010 – November 2010 | |
Preceded by | Himself (as Minister of Science and Technology) |
Succeeded by | Pavithra Devi Wanniarachchi |
Senior Minister of Scientific Affairs | |
In office November 2010 – 12 January 2015 | |
Member of Parliament for National List | |
Assumed office 2020 | |
In office 2004–2015 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Nuwara Eliya, Ceylon | 30 August 1934
Political party | Lanka Sama Samaja Party |
Other political affiliations | United People's Freedom Alliance |
Alma mater |
University of Ceylon University of London |
Occupation | Physician |
Upali Tissa Vitharana (born 30 August 1934) is a Sri Lankan politician, former Member of Parliament and former cabinet minister. He is the current leader of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), a member of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), and is serving as Governor of North Central Province.
Vitharana was born 30 August 1934 in Nuwara Eliya in central Ceylon. [1] [2] He was the son of Pieris Vitharana, a Public Works Department engineer, and N. P. Maggie Perera, sister of N. M. Perera. [2] [3] He was educated at Trinity College, Kandy and Ananda College, Colombo. [2] [4] He played cricket for both schools. [2] [3] After school he joined the University of Ceylon's medical faculty in Colombo, graduating in 1959 with a MBBS degree. [2] [3] [5] Vitharana captained the university's cricket team in 1957/58 and took part in the Sara Trophy Tournament. [2] [3]
After university Vitharana worked as a medical officer (1959–67) and was registrar at Colombo General Hospital in 1963/64. [2] [5] His post graduate work earned him an MD degree in clinical medicine from the University of Ceylon in 1965. [5] He then went to study in the UK, obtaining a Diploma in Bacteriology from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in 1968 and a Ph.D. in virology from the University of London in 1971. [3] [5] [6] Specialising in bacteriology and virology, Vitharana joined the Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Colombo in 1972, serving as its director from 1983 to 1994. [2] [3] [5] He was head of the virology department at the MRI from 1972 to 1994. [3] [5] Vitharana was a consultant virologist at the Edinburgh City Hospital's Regional Virus Laboratory in the 1980s. [5] He was deputy director of the Victoria Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory in Melbourne from 1991 to 1993. [5]
Following retirement in 1994 Vitharana was a professor of microbiology at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura from 1995 to 2000 and an advisor to the Minister of Science and Technology from 1994 to 2001. [3] [5]
Vitharana joined the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) in 1974. [1] On 20 January 2004 the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) formed the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA). [7] The Communist Party of Sri Lanka CPSL and LSSP joined the UPFA in February 2004. [8] [9] Vitharana was appointed as a UPFA National List MP in the Sri Lankan Parliament following the 2004 parliamentary election. [10] He was appointed Minister of Science and Technology after the election. [11] [12]
Vitharana was re-appointed as a UPFA National List MP following the 2010 parliamentary election. [13] [14] He lost his cabinet position after the election but shortly afterwards, in May 2010, he was appointed Minister of Technology and Research. [15] [16] He was promoted to Senior Minister of Scientific Affairs in November 2010. [17] [18] [19] He lost his cabinet position following the 2015 presidential election.
At the 2015 parliamentary election Vitharana was placed on the UPFA's list of National List candidates. [20] [21] However, after the election he was not appointed to the National List. [22] [23]
On December 4, 2019, Vitharana was appointed as Governor for the North Central Province, Sri Lanka. [24] He was sworn in before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. [25]
Vitharana was awarded the Vidya Jyothi title in the 2017 Sri Lankan national honours. [26] [27]
Vitharana is married to Kamini Meedeniya. [2] [3] They have a son, Ranil. [2] [3]