Ravi Karunanayake

Hon.
Ravi Karunanayake
MP
(2015)
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
22 May 2017 – 10 August 2017
President Maithripala Sirisena
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
Preceded by Mangala Samaraweera
Succeeded by Tilak Marapana
Minister of Finance
In office
12 January 2015 – 22 May 2017
President Maithripala Sirisena
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
Preceded by Mahinda Rajapaksa
Succeeded by Mangala Samaraweera
Minister of Commerce, Consumer Affairs
In office
12 December 2001 – 6 April 2004
President Chandrika Kumaratunga
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
Member of the Sri Lankan Parliament
for Colombo District
Assumed office
1994
Personal details
Born (1963-02-19) February 19, 1963
Nationality Sri Lankan
Political party United National Party
(2000 - Present)
Independent
(1998 - 1999)
Democratic United National Front
(1989 - 1998)
Other political
affiliations		 United National Front
(2001 - Present)
Spouse(s) Mela
Children Onella, Shenella, Minella
Occupation Politics
Profession Management Accountant
Website Official Website

Ravindra Sandresh Karunanayake, MP (born 19 February 1963) is a Sri Lankan politician. A Member of Parliament for the Colombo District, he served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from May 2017 to August 2017, Minister of Finance from 2015 to 2017, and Cabinet Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs from 2001 to 2004.

Karunanayake is also the Assistant Leader of the United National Party (UNP), the District Leader of Colombo, and the chief organisr for the Colombo North Electorate.

Early life

Born to Tissa Anuruddha Mahanama Karunanayake and Carmaleka née Dissanayake, daughter of former Deputy Inspector General of Police 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, Karunanayake was active in 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 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 young Karunanayake received his ticket to enter the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Kesaralal Gunesekara was the other DUNF MP who got appointed along with Karunanayake. 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. Karunanayake was more disposed toward the UNP, and as a result Srimani fired him from the DUNF-Lalith Front. However, through a court order, Karunanayake 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, Karunanayake 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 Karunanayake has remained a Member of Parliament.

Minister of Finance

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]

In 2017, The Banker magazine selected Karunanayake as the best finance minister in Asia pacific for securing a $1.5 billion International Monetary Fund loan programme to avoid a balance of payments crisis, replenish reserves and rebuild confidence among international investors. Government revenue grew from Rs. 1205 in 2014 to Rs. 1,461 billion in 2015. Tax revenue rose from Rs. 1,050 billion to Rs. 1,356 billion in the same period which is crucial for Sri Lanka as it has a very low tax revenue-to-gross domestic product ratio. Sri Lanka’s tax records also grew from having 700,000 files in January 2015 to having 1.4 million.[2][3]

Minister of Foreign Affairs

In May 2017 Karunanayake was removed from the post of Finance Minister and appointed as Minister of Foreign Affrairs with the Ministerial subject of the Lotteries Board by President Maithripala Sirisena.[4][5] He resigned from the post of Minister of Foreign Affrairs on 10 August 2017.[6]

Penthouse Affair

In late July 2017, during the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Bond Issuance appointed to look into the controversial sale of government bonds during the tenure of Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran to his son-in-law Arjun Aloysius's firm Perpetual Treasuries; a witness, Anika Wijesuriya, stated that the upscale Colombo penthouse rented by Minister Karunanayake and his family in 2016 was paid for by Arjun Aloysius through his company.[7][8] Karunanayake was summoned to testify before the Commission, and stated that he had no knowledge of how his rent was paid.[9] This caused a major public outcry, with calls for his resignation and negative feedback to many of the proposals he presented to President Sirisena, such as his request for the use of Visumpaya as his official residence as Minister of Foreign Affairs.[10] Many within the government, both SLFP and UNP members as well as the President, wanted Karunanayake to resign.[11][12][13][14] He resigned from the post of Minister of Foreign Affrairs on 10 August 2017.[15]

In October 2017, Anika Wijesuriya, who testified against Ravi Karunanayake, had left Sri Lanka following threats to her life.[16]

In January 2018, a Special Committee of the United National Party, headed by Tilak Marapana, recommended that Karunanayake should be removed from his post as Assistant Leader of the party.[17] [18] [19]

Family

Karunanayake is married to Mela and has three daughters Onella, Shenella and Minella.

References

  1. ↑ Ravi K clarifies controversial taxes in moving amendment to Appropriation Act
  2. ↑ "Ravi named Finance Minister of year, Asia-Pacific".
  3. ↑ "Minister Ravi Karunanayake named Finance Minister of the Year in Asia Pacific".
  4. ↑ "Sri Lanka dumps failed Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake".
  5. ↑ "Operation Re-shuffle Key objective was removing Ravi Karunanayake as Finance Minister".
  6. ↑ I resign with pride: Ravi
  7. ↑ The Penthouse Affair
  8. ↑ 'Ravi Was Summoned Before Commission As His Name Linked to Crucial Evidence' - Chithrasiri
  9. ↑ Had no knowledge of apartment lease until recently – claims Min. Karunanayake at Presidential Commission
  10. ↑ Ravi Karunanayake goes through a political turbulence
  11. ↑ "Ravi should go: Thilanga". Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  12. ↑ "Govt. pressing for Ravi's resignation". Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  13. ↑ "Daya: Better for Ravi to resign". Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  14. ↑ "Resign, President tells Ravi". Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  15. ↑ I resign with pride: Ravi
  16. ↑ Special police security for Anika Wijesuriya’s family
  17. ↑ "Implement recommendations of Tilak Marapana". Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  18. ↑ "Proper if Ravi steps down: PM". Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  19. ↑ "Ravi K should not exercise duties as Assistant Leader of UNP: Marapana Committee". Retrieved 2018-02-21.
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