September 9, 2019 (LBO) - Cabinet Minister of Plantation Industries Navin Dissanayake reached the age of 50 today.
Dissanayake is the son of former UNP leader and Presidential candidate Gamini Dissanayake. Navin's father was assassinated by the LTTE in 1994 at age 52 during his campaign for the presidency. Navin Dissanayake was just 25 years old at the time. His mother, the late Srima Dissanayake, took over the campaign and became the first woman UNP presidential candidate.
Navin Dissanayake first entered parliament from the Nuwara Eliya District in the year 2000, the same year as Sajith Premadasa entered from Hambantota. Like Premadasa, he is a strong future leadership contender of the UNP. Currently Dissanayake is the UNP's National Organiser. He is an Attorney-at-law in the Sri Lanka, and was also called to the Bar in the United Kingdom as a Barrister at Law from the Middle temple.