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Nambukara Helambage Rajitha Harischandra Senaratne (known as ''Rajitha Senaratne'') MP is the Sri Lanka's Cabinet Minister of Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine in 15th Parliament of Sri Lanka. Dr Rajitha is the Member of Parliament representing the Kalutara District. He was former Cabinet minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development. He completed his primary education at Ananda College Colombo and Nalanda College, Colombo〔(A Happy Birth Day to Minister Rajitha )〕 and entered the Faculty of Dental Science, University of Peradeniya. Graduating from Peradeniya in 1974 he became a dental practitioner in the state sector and was soon appointed as the secretory to the Government Dental Surgeons Assosiation (GDSA)the trade union of the dental surgeons that had many battles with the Jayawardena Government over the Private Medical College issue.〔Sathya Liyanasuriya. Swimming Against the Tide on 13A.Newsmakers.27.06.2013.Available online.〕 He started his political life from the SLFP and later joined Vijaya Kumaranatunga to established the SLMP. The dental surgeon was a vociferous critic of the tooth for tooth policy of JVP and was a prime target during the JVP insurrection. He was critically injured in a blast at the Grand Pass election rally conducted to support Ossie Abeygunasekera's presidential election campaign in 1988. Two pieces of shrapnel still remain inside his skull.〔The Official Website of Rajitha Senaratne〕 He was elected to the Western Provincial Council in 1988 from the USA with which SLMP was in an alliance. He unsuccessfully contested the 1989 General Elections under USA ticket. When Ossie Abeygunasekera,the successor of Vijaya to the SLMP leadership, started to gravitate towards the Premadasa Regimn,Rajitha broke away from SLMP and formed Bahujana Nidahas Peramuna (BNP)which would shelter Chandrika Kumaratunga when she return to Sri Lanka in few years time. Later Rajitha later joined UNP which appointed him as a national list MP in the Wijethunga government and became a bitter critic of Chandrika.〔Chandraprema CA.Importance of being Rajitha.Midweek Review.Available Online〕 In 1994 he was elected to the parliament from Kaluthara District under UNP cadidature. He was the fire brand of the opposition benches from 1994 to 1999 and played a pivotal role in the debate over Channel-9 scandal. He openly challenged the self declared education qualifications of Chandika. In 1999 the courts disqualified him from doing business with the state and was unseated from the parliament.〔Sunday Times Political Column.09.04.1999. Available online.〕 However,UNP re-appointed him to the vacancy created by his own unseating.〔Sunday Times Political Column.09.04.1999. Available online.〕 He was re-elected at the 2000 General elections and secured his seat at every election held thereafter. In 2007 he crossed over to the UPFA ruling government and held an important cabinet ministerial post in the Rajapaksa Government. He topped the list of the Kaluthara District at many elections but was dragged down to the second slot at the 2010 General Elections by Kumara Welgama. He was awarded the portfolio of Fishing and Aquatic Resources in the cabinet. In 2014 as the Sri Lankan presidential election, 2015 nears he defected alongside Maithripala Sirisena complaining about nepotism and corruption of the government and supporting Maithripala as the common candidate. ==See also== * Cabinet of Sri Lanka 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Rajitha Senaratne」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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