Mahabalage Don Henry Jayawardena (29 March 1915 – 29 September 1986) was a

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

n lawyer, businessman and politician. Jayawardena served as the

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

, Minister of Health, Minister of Housing and Scientific Research and

Minister of Plantation Industries The Ministry of Plantation Industries ( si, වැවිලි කර්මාන්ත අමාත්‍යාංශය; ta, பெருந்தோட்டக் கைத்தொழில் அமைச்சு) is a ministry in the Go ...

between 1954–1977.

Early life and education

Born to M.D.S Jayawardena Ralahami, he was educated at Trinity College, Kandy and at the Ceylon University College, where he graduated with a degree in economics. In 1938, he entered Ceylon Law College becoming an

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, ...

. Traveling to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, he qualified as a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

and returned to Ceylon in 1946 and started his legal practice.

Political career

Joining the

United National Party The United National Party, often abbreviated as UNP ( si, එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය, translit=Eksath Jāthika Pakshaya, ta, ஐக்கிய தேசியக் கட்சி, translit=Aikkiya Tēciyak Kaṭci), ...

in 1947, he was elected to parliament from the Horana electorate in the 1952 parliamentary election and was appointed parliamentary secretary to the

minister of finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

, serving from October 1953 to July 1954. When the minister of finance,

Sir Oliver Goonetilleke Sir Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke ( si, ශ්‍රිමත් ඔලිවර් ගුණතිලක) (20 October 1892 – 17 December 1978) was a Sri Lankan statesman. Having served as an important figure in the gradual independence of Ceyl ...

, was appointed governor general, Jayawardena was succeeded him as minister of finance, serving from July 1954 to February 1956. He contested the 1956 parliamentary election from Horana, but lost to

Sagara Palansuriya Palansuriya Mohottalalage Dingiri Mahaththaya ( si, පලන්සුරිය මොහොට්ටාලලාගේ ඩිංගිරි මහත්තයා, known as Sagara Palansuriya ( si, සාගර පලන්සූරිය) in la ...

. In 1958, he was appointed general secretary of the United National Party, serving till 1972. He contested the Kottawa electorate in the July 1960 parliamentary election, but lost to

Robert Gunawardena Don Benjamin Rupasinghe Gunawardena (12 March 1904 - 26 December 1971: si, රොබට් ගුණවර්ධන), popularly as Robert Gunawardena, was a Sri Lankan Marxist politician and diplomat. He was one of the founders of the Lanka Sa ...

. He again contested from Kottawa in the 1965 parliamentary election and won defeating Robert Gunawardena and was appointed Minister of Health. During his tenure the Emergency Care Unit of the Colombo General Hospital was built. He served until 1968, when he was appointed Minister of Housing and Scientific Research and served till 1970. He lost his parliamentary seat 1970 parliamentary election to

Chandra Gunasekera Handapangoda Mudalige Chandrapala Gunasekera (known as Chandra Gunasekera) (10 June 1922 – before 2006) was a Sri Lankan politician who served as a Member of Parliament. He was the Deputy Minister of Culture and Social Services. Gunasekera fir ...

. He was re-elected in the 1977 parliamentary election and was appointed

serving till 1979.

Family

He married the daughter of Benthota Hendrique Karunarathne in 1942 and they had three children.

References

External links

Tiger among the felines
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jayawardena, M. D. H. Finance ministers of Sri Lanka Health ministers of Sri Lanka Housing ministers of Sri Lanka Industries ministers of Sri Lanka United National Party politicians Parliamentary secretaries of Ceylon 1915 births 1986 deaths Sinhalese politicians Ceylonese advocates Sri Lankan barristers Alumni of Trinity College, Kandy Alumni of the Ceylon University College Alumni of Ceylon Law College