Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam

Honourable
Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam
MP
கஜேந்திரகுமார் பொன்னம்பலம்
Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament
for Jaffna District
In office
2001–2010
Personal details
Born (1974-01-16) 16 January 1974
Political party All Ceylon Tamil Congress
Other political
affiliations		 Tamil National People's Front
Alma mater SOAS, University of London
Profession Lawyer
Religion Hindu
Ethnicity Sri Lankan Tamil

Gajendrakumar Gangaser Ponnambalam (Tamil: கஜேந்திரகுமார் காங்கேசர் பொன்னம்பலம்; born 16 January 1974) is a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer, politician and former Member of Parliament. He is the leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), a member of the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF).[1]

Early life and family

Ponnambalam was born on 16 January 1974.[2] He is the son of Kumar Ponnambalam and grandson of G. G. Ponnambalam, leading Tamil politicians.[3][4] He was educated at Royal College, Colombo and the Colombo International School.[3][5] After school he joined SOAS, University of London, graduating with a LL.B. degree in 1995.[3][5]

Career

Ponnambalam qualified as a barrister-at-law from Lincoln's Inn and was called to the bar of England and Wales in 1997.[3] Returning to Sri Lanka, he qualified as an attorney-at-law and was called to the bar of Sri Lanka in 1999.[3]

Ponnambalam entered politics following the assassination of his father on 5 January 2000.[3] On 20 October 2001 the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front, Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization and Tamil United Liberation Front formed the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).[6][7] Ponnambalam contested the 2001 parliamentary election as one of the TNA's candidates in Jaffna District. He was elected and entered Parliament.[8] He was re-elected at the 2004 parliamentary election.[9] In March 2010 Ponnambalam, along with fellow TNA MPs S. Kajendran and Pathmini Sithamparanathan, left the TNA and formed the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF).[10][11]

Ponnambalam contested the 2010 parliamentary election as one of the TNPF's candidates in Jaffna District but the TNPF failed to win any seats in Parliament.[12][13] In February 2011 Ponnambalam became one of the vice-presidents of the TNPF.[14] He contested the 2015 parliamentary election as one of the TNPF's candidates in Jaffna District but again the TNPF failed to win any seats in Parliament.[15][16]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam
Election Constituency Party Votes Result
2001 parliamentary[8] Jaffna District TNA 29,641 Elected
2004 parliamentary[9] Jaffna District TNA 60,770 Elected
2010 parliamentary Jaffna District TNPF Not elected
2015 parliamentary Jaffna District TNPF Not elected

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Kumar Ponnambalam memorial held in Vavuniya". Tamil Guardian. 9 January 2014.
  2. ↑ "Directory of Past Members: G. G. Ponnambalam". Parliament of Sri Lanka.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (4 August 2015). "Tiger Diaspora backs Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka).
  4. ↑ "Gajendrakumar threatened". Ceylon Today. 3 May 2013.
  5. 1 2 "We suspected the PA government - Gajen". The Sunday Leader. 30 December 2001.
  6. ↑ Jeyaraj, D. B. S. "Tamil National Alliance enters critical third phase - 1". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 4 April 2010.
  7. ↑ "Tamil parties sign MOU". TamilNet. 20 October 2001.
  8. 1 2 "General Election 2001 Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
  9. 1 2 "General Election 2004 Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
  10. ↑ Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (17 April 2010). "T.N.A. Performs creditably in parliamentary elections". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 28 April 2010.
  11. ↑ "Tamil National Peoples Front launched in Jaffna". TamilNet. 1 March 2010.
  12. ↑ "PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Government Notifications THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ACT, No. 1 OF 1981 Notice Under Section 24(1) GENERAL ELECTIONS OF MEMBERS OF THE PARLIAMENT" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1643/07. 2 March 2010.
  13. ↑ "Parliamentary General Election - 2010 Jaffna District Final District Result". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
  14. ↑ "TNPF announces Central Committee, prepares party constitution". TamilNet. 24 February 2011.
  15. ↑ "PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Government Notifications THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ACT, No. 1 OF 1981 Notice Under Section 24(1) GENERAL ELECTIONS OF MEMBERS OF THE PARLIAMENT" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. 1923/03. 13 July 2015.
  16. ↑ "Parliamentary Election - 17-08-2015 Electoral District: Jaffna Final District Result". Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
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