Mangala Samaraweera

Sri Lankan politician (1956-2021)

Mangala Pinsiri Samaraweera (21 April 1956[1] – 24 August 2021) (Sinhala: මංගල පින්සිරි සමරවීර, Tamil: மங்கள சமரவீர; pronounced [mˈʌŋgɘlɘ pinsiri sˈʌmɘrɘviːrɘ]) was a Sri Lankan politician. He was also the first openly gay politician from Sri Lanka.[2]


Mangala Samaraweera
මංගල සමරවීර
மங்கள சமரவீர
Minister of Finance
In office
22 May 2017 – 17 November 2019
PresidentMaithripala Sirisena
Prime MinisterRanil Wickremesinghe
Preceded byRavi Karunanayake
Succeeded byMahinda Rajapaksa
Minister of Media
In office
22 May 2017 – 17 November 2019
PresidentMaithripala Sirisena
Prime MinisterRanil Wickremesinghe
Preceded byGayantha Karunathilaka
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
12 January 2015 – 22 May 2017
PresidentMaithripala Sirisena
Prime MinisterRanil Wickremesinghe
Preceded byGamini L Peiris
Succeeded byRavi Karunanayake
In office
23 November 2005 – 28 January 2007
PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterRatnasiri Wickremanayake
Preceded byAnura Bandaranaike
Succeeded byRohitha Bogollagama
Member of Parliament
for Matara District
In office
1989–2020
Personal details
Born(1956-04-21)21 April 1956
Matara, Sri Lanka
Died24 August 2021(2021-08-24) (aged 65)
Colombo, Sri Lanka
NationalitySri Lankan
Political partySri Lanka Freedom Party (1983–2007)
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Mahajana) (2007–2010)
United National Party
(2010–2020)
Samagi Jana Balawegaya
(2020–2021)
ParentsMahanama Samaraweera
(father)
Khema Padmawathi Samaraweera (mother)
OccupationPolitician

He was the Minister of Finance from 2017 to 2019, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, for two terms from 2005 to 2007 and 2015 to 2017.[3] He was born in Matara, Sri Lanka.

Samaraweera died at a hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 24 August 2021 from COVID-19, aged 65.[4][5]

References

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  1. "Parliament of Sri Lanka – Mangala Samaraweera". Official Website of Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  2. "Mangala threatened with arrest after voting for gay rights at UN | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  3. "Former minister Mangala Samaraweera passes away". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  4. "Sri Lanka's former Foreign Minister Samaraweera dies of COVID-19". The Hindu. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021. Sri Lanka's former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera passed away on Tuesday at a private hospital here due to COVID-19 related complications.
  5. "Mangala passes away from COVID-19 – Latest News | Daily Mirror". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 24 August 2021.