Weerasangilige Wimal Weerawansa (Sinhala: විමල් වීරවංශ, Tamil: விமல் வீரவன்ச) (born 7 March 1970) is a Sri Lankan politician, Member of Parliament and current leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF). Weerawansa has served many cabinet positions, including Minister of Industries from 2020 to 2022, Minister of Small and Medium Business and Enterprise Development, Industries and Supply Chain Management from 2019 to 2020, Minister of Housing and Social Welfare in 2018 and the Minister of Construction and Housing from 2010 to 2015.
Weerawanssa was born 7 March 1970.[1][2][3][b] He is the son of Weerasangilige Podineris, a dancing teacher and professional musician, and Wadachcharige Salie.[5] Weerawansha has one brother (Sarath Weerawansha) and three sisters (Weerasangilige Sumanawathie, Chandani Weerawansha and Nilani Weerawansha).[5] Weerawansha was educated at Tissa Central College in Kalutara where he played for the school cricket team.[7][8] Weerawansha passed eight GCE Ordinary levels and started studying GCE A level but was expelled for not attending classes.[5]
Weerawansa is married to Ranasinghe Mudiyanselage Shirsha Udayanthi (Sashi).[5] They have a son and a daughter.[5]
Weerawansa joined the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) during its second insurrection and wrote articles in Lakdiva and Hiru, pro-JVP periodicals.[5][9] He was known by various aliases including Wimalasiri Gamlath and Wanshanatha.[5] He was president of the Peoples' Movement for Freedom (Nidahasa Udesa Janatha Viyaparaya), propaganda secretary and politburo member of the JVP.[5] In his early political years Weerawansha was greatly influenced by socialism and disliked nationalism as much as capitalism.[9] He even accused the ultra-nationalist National Movement Against Terrorism (NMAT) of orchestrating a coup d'état.[9] However, as time went by, Weerawansa and the JVP slowly began to move away from Marxism and towards Sinhalese nationalism.[9]
Weerawansa was appointed as Minister of Industries in 2020 under Gotabaya Rajapaksa, but was later stripped of his ministerial portfolios on 3 March 2022.[36][37]
Following the change in government in January 2015 the police started investigating Weerawansha's wife Shashi over allegations that she faked official documents to obtain a diplomatic passport.[47][48] A panel investigating the activities of the housing ministry during Weerawansha's ministry uncovered financial irregularities and rampant nepotism.[49] Weerawansha was investigated by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) over how several of his relatives obtained government constructed houses at well below market prices.[50][51] Weerawansha was arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport on 23 October 2015 due to discrepancies in his passport.[52][53] After being questioned by the Criminal Investigation Department, he was produced before Negombo Magistrate's Court and released on bail.[54][55] Weerawana was arrested by the Police Financial Crimes Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID) on accusations of misusing government vehicles on 10 January 2017.[56] Weerawansha's bail applications were rejected several times.[57] While he was in custody, Weerawansha started a hunger strike claiming of political revenge by the government.[58] The hunger strike was called off after eight days on requests made by Theras of the Malwathu and Asgiri chapters and fellow politicians.[59] Weerawansha was released on bail on 7 April 2017.[60]
Weerawansha asked the public to launch a Black Flag protest to oppose the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Sri Lanka in 2017 May.[63]
In October 2017, Weerawansha stated that the parliament should be bombed if a new constitution was approved by a parliament vote.[64] The Parliament Speaker urged to inquire into Weerawansha's statement. Piyasiri Wijenayake, an NFF member criticized Weerawansha and claimed that the thoughts expressed were Weerawansha's personal views.[65][66][67][68]
In May 2022, Weerawansa's wife, Shashi was sentenced to two years in prison after she was found guilty of obtaining passport by submitting false information.[69] The court also imposed a fine of LKR 100,000 on her.[70] This case involved fraudulently obtaining two passports, including a diplomatic one, by presenting false information.[71] She was accused of having different names and birthdates on the documents used to acquire these passports.
^Weerawansha's date of birth was given as 7 March 1970.[4][5] However, following the 2015 change in government it was revealed that Weerawansha and his wife had altered details, such as their dates of birth, on several official documents and that Weerawansha's actual date of birth was 7 March 1970.[1][2][3][6]
