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Maithripala Senanayake (7 July 1916 – 12 July 1998) was a Sri Lankan politician and Governor of the North-Central province. He first studied at St. Joseph's College, Anuradhapura then at St. John's Jaffna, where he attained a mastery in the Tamil Language and later at Nalanda College Colombo.
He entered parliament from Medawachchiya Electorate in 1947 when then Ceylon held its first parliamentary elections.
When D.S. Senanayake picked his Cabinet in 1952 this promising young man from Raja Rata, Maithripala Senanayake was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Later he not only resigned from the post he held, but also from the UNP, after submitting resignation to Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake. At the following General Election, he retained the Medawachchiya seat as an Independent.
Then followed by some momentous years S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was biding his time after he had resigned from UNP and making plans for the future with his nascent Sri Lanka Freedom Party and offered a place to Maithripala Senanayake, who was then an Independent MP in Parliament.
Senanayake has held many cabinet portfolios and has been Acting Prime Minister 19 times, Leader of the House, Chief Government Whip, and Deputy Leader of the Opposition at various times. In the realm of Foreign Affairs, Maithripala Senanayake has also played a major role, when the then Prime Minister Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike was President of the Non-aligned Movement, he led the Sri Lanka delegation to the 5th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Colombo.
He represented Parliament since 1947 to 1994 becoming the only person in Sri Lanka to represent Parliament for 47 years continuously. In the 1989 election which was the first Parliamentary election to be held under the proportional representation he entered Parliament as a National list member. He was not appointed to Parliament in 1994. However he was appointed the governor of the North Central Province in the same year which he held until his death.
References
- "Hon. Senanayake, Maithripala, M.P." Directory of Past Members. Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- "Hon. Maithripala Senanayake Commemorative stamp issue". Sri Lanka Post. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008.
- By L. M. Samarasinghe"Birth Anniversary today: Maithripala Senanayake". Daily News. Archived from the original on 2 November 2003. Retrieved 17 July 2002.
- By Lakshman Jayakody "Maithripala Senanayake remembered - Wrested power from the aristocrats". The Island Features.
- By L. M. Samarasinghe "Maithripala Senanayake Illustrious leader of Lanka". Dailynews Features. Archived from the original on 19 July 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- By Tissa Karaliyatta "A friend of the common people". Dailynews. 14 July 2012. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byE. L. B. Hurulle | Governor of North Central Province 1994–1998 |
Succeeded byG. M. S. Samaraweera |
| Irrigation and Water Resources Management Ministers of Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|
| Leaders of the House | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Governors of the North Central Province | ||
|---|---|---|
| Governors | .PNG) | |
| Acting | ||
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| Power & Energy ministers of Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|
- Irrigation and Water Resources Management ministers of Sri Lanka
- 1916 births
- Members of the 1st Parliament of Ceylon
- Members of the 2nd Parliament of Ceylon
- Members of the 3rd Parliament of Ceylon
- Members of the 4th Parliament of Ceylon
- Members of the 5th Parliament of Ceylon
- Members of the 6th Parliament of Ceylon
- Members of the 7th Parliament of Ceylon
- Members of the 8th Parliament of Sri Lanka
- Members of the 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka
- Transport ministers of Sri Lanka
- Governors of North Central Province, Sri Lanka
- 1998 deaths
- Sri Lankan Buddhists
- Alumni of Nalanda College, Colombo
- Alumni of St. John's College, Jaffna
- Trade ministers of Sri Lanka
- Industries ministers of Sri Lanka
- Parliamentary secretaries of Ceylon
- Culture ministers of Sri Lanka
- Power ministers of Sri Lanka