Ravindra Sandresh Karunanayake, MP (born 19 February 1963) is a Sri Lankan politician. He is the current Minister of Finance and a Member of Parliament for the Colombo District. Karunanayake was the former Cabinet Minister of Commerce, Consumer Affairs from 2001 to 2004. He is the Assistant Leader of United National Party (UNP) and its chief organizer for the Colombo North Electorate in Colombo District.
Early life
Born to Tissa Anuruddha Mahanama Karunanayake and Carmaleka Karunanayake, daughter of former DIG Cyril Dissanayake. He is the eldest son in a family of two. Educated at S. Thomas' Preparatory School, Kollupitiya up to his GCE Ordinary Level, after which he proceeded to Royal College Colombo for his Advanced Level examinations. He became a management accountant and worked for Delmege Group before heading up several directorships of new ventures in the travel industry.
Political career
In 1988 and 1989, Ravi was in active politics and helped Lalith Athulathmudali to win his seat in Colombo District. In 1991, ten MPs including Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake left the UNP Government headed by President Premadasa and formed the DUNF. When Athulathmudali was assassinated in April 1993, his wife Srimani Athulathmudali took over. And then Gamini Dissanayake re-joined the UNP. Srimani along with the 'DUNF-Lalith Front' joined the People's Alliance under Chandrika Kumaratunga at the General Election in 1994.
In the election two MPs in the national lists were given to the DUNF, and that was the time buoyant young Ravi Karunanayake received his ticket to enter the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Kesaralal Gunesekara was the other DUNF MP who got appointed along with Ravi. In 1996, Srimani was removed from the Cabinet by President Chandrika Kumaratunga, and simultaneously Srimani and her party had a dispute over the affiliation to the Government. Ravi was more towards the UNP, and as a result Srimani sacked him from the DUNF-Lalith Front. However, through a court order, Ravi was able to become an Independent MP in 1998-1999. With the dissolution of Parliament in 1999, he joined the UNP, and became the organiser of Kotte. He won the Kotte seat with 425,000 votes. He won the 'Young Politician of the Year' awarded by the Jaycees Colombo in the year 2000.
In the General Election held in the year 2001, Ravi became the Minister of Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
Along with the fall of the government in the year 2004, the UNP lost the portfolio, but Ravi has remained as a Member of Parliament.
Following the election of Maithripala Sirisena as President in 2015, he was appointed as the Minister of Finance. He presented the controversial interim budget soon thereafter.[1]
Family
Ravi is married to Mela and has three daughters Onella, Shenella and Minella. As the old adage goes “behind every successful man there is a woman” and this goes to prove that Mela has been a tower of strength to him. Apart from his hectic business, political and parliamentary life Ravi Karunanayake is also a “family man” and spends considerable time with his family.
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