Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam | |
---|---|
கஜேந்திரகுமார் பொன்னம்பலம் ජේන්ද්රකුමාර් කැන්ගසර් පොන්නම්බලම් | |
![]() Ponnambalam in September 2014 | |
Member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka | |
Assumed office 2020 | |
Constituency | Jaffna District |
In office 2001–2010 | |
Constituency | Jaffna District |
Personal details | |
Born | Gajendrakumar Gangaser Ponnambalam 16 January 1974 |
Political party | All Ceylon Tamil Congress |
Other political affiliations | Tamil National People's Front |
Alma mater | SOAS, University of London |
Profession | Lawyer |
Gajendrakumar Gangaser Ponnambalam (Tamil: கஜேந்திரகுமார் காங்கேசர் பொன்னம்பலம், romanized: Kajēntirakumār Kāṅkēcar Poṉṉampalam; born 16 January 1974) is a Sri Lankan lawyer, politician and Member of Parliament.[1] He is the leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, a member of the Tamil National People's Front.[2]
Early life and family
[edit]Ponnambalam was born on 16 January 1974.[1] He is the son of Kumar Ponnambalam and grandson of G. G. Ponnambalam, both leaders of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC).[3][4] He was educated at Royal College, Colombo and the Colombo International School.[3][5] After school he joined SOAS, University of London, graduating with a LL.B. degree in 1995.[3][5]
Career
[edit]Ponnambalam qualified as a barrister-at-law from Lincoln's Inn and was called to the bar of England and Wales in 1997.[3] Returning to Sri Lanka, he qualified as an attorney-at-law and was called to the bar of Sri Lanka in 1999.[3]
Ponnambalam entered politics following the assassination of his father on 5 January 2000.[3] On 20 October 2001 the ACTC, Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front, Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization and Tamil United Liberation Front formed the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).[6][7] Ponnambalam contested the 2001 parliamentary election as one of the TNA's candidates in Jaffna District and was elected to the Parliament.[8] He was re-elected at the 2004 parliamentary election.[9] In March 2010 Ponnambalam, along with fellow TNA MPs S. Kajendran and Pathmini Sithamparanathan, left the TNA and formed the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF).[10][11]
Ponnambalam contested the 2010 parliamentary election as a TNPF candidate in Jaffna District but the TNPF failed to win any seats in Parliament.[12][13] In February 2011 Ponnambalam became one of the vice-presidents of the TNPF.[14] He contested the 2015 parliamentary election as a TNPF candidates in Jaffna District but, again, the TNPF failed to win any seats in Parliament.[15][16]
Ponnambalam contested the 2020 parliamentary election as a TNPF candidate in Jaffna District and was re-elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka.[17][18][19]
Ponnambalam has extensive shareholdings in several companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange - either directly or through family owned companies Gee Gees Properties (Pvt) Ltd and Gitanjali Gajaluckshmi (Pvt) Ltd - including Serendib Land PLC (property developer), LOLC Holdings PLC/Lanka ORIX Leasing Company (leasing, factoring and microfinance) and Bukit Darah PLC (palm oil).[20][21][22]
Electoral history
[edit]Election | Constituency | Party | Alliance | Votes | Result | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 parliamentary[8] | Jaffna District | All Ceylon Tamil Congress | Tamil National Alliance | 29,641 | Elected | ||
2004 parliamentary[9] | Jaffna District | All Ceylon Tamil Congress | Tamil National Alliance | 60,770 | Elected | ||
2010 parliamentary | Jaffna District | All Ceylon Tamil Congress | Tamil National People's Front | Not elected | |||
2015 parliamentary | Jaffna District | All Ceylon Tamil Congress | Tamil National People's Front | Not elected | |||
2020 parliamentary[23] | Jaffna District | All Ceylon Tamil Congress | Tamil National People's Front | 31,658 | Elected |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Directory of Members: G. G. Ponnambalam". Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka: Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Kumar Ponnambalam memorial held in Vavuniya". Tamil Guardian. 9 January 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (4 August 2015). "Tiger Diaspora backs Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam". The Daily Mirror. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Gajendrakumar threatened". Ceylon Today. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 3 May 2013. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015.
- ^ a b Gnanadass, Wilson (30 December 2001). "We suspected the PA government – Gajen". The Sunday Leader. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (27 March 2010). "Tamil National Alliance enters critical third phase – 1". The Daily Mirror. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 4 April 2010.
- ^ "Tamil parties sign MOU". TamilNet. 20 October 2001. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Parliamentary General Election - 2001 - Preferences" (PDF). Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka: Department of Elections. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Parliamentary General Election - 2004 - Preferences" (PDF). Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka: Department of Elections. p. 189. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2010.
- ^ Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (17 April 2010). "T.N.A. Performs creditably in parliamentary elections". The Daily Mirror. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 28 April 2010.
- ^ "Tamil National Peoples Front launched in Jaffna". TamilNet. 1 March 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Part I : Section (I) — General - Government Notifications - The Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981 - Notice Under Section 24(1) - General Elections of Members of the Parliament" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. No. 1643/07. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 2 March 2010. p. 205A. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 November 2014.
- ^ "Results of Parliamentary General Election – 2010" (PDF). Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka: Election Commission of Sri Lanka. p. 200. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "TNPF announces Central Committee, prepares party constitution". TamilNet. 24 February 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Part I : Section (I) — General - Government Notifications - The Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981 - Notice Under Section 24(1) - General Elections of Members of the Parliament" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. No. 1923/3. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 13 July 2015. p. 236A. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Parliamentary Election - 2015 - Composition of the Parliamant". Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka: Department of Elections. p. 5. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015.
- ^ "Part I : Section (I) — General - Government Notifications - Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary. No. 2187/26. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 8 August 2020. p. 5A. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
- ^ "General Election 2020: Preferential votes of Jaffna District". Ceylon Today. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 7 August 2020. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (8 August 2020). "TNA suffers electoral setback in North and East polls". The Daily Mirror. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Quarterly Financial Statements for the Three Months Period Ended June 30, 2020" (PDF). Colombo Stock Exchange. Colombo, Sri Lanka: Serendib Land PLC. p. 8. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Interim Condensed Financial Statements for the Three Months Ended 30 June 2020" (PDF). Colombo Stock Exchange. Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka: LOLC Holdings PLC. p. 17. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Interim Condensed Interim Financial Statements for the Period Ended 30th June 2020" (PDF). Colombo Stock Exchange. Colombo, Sri Lanka: Bukit Darah PLC. p. 20. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "General Election Preferential Votes". Daily News. Colombo Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka. 8 August 2020. p. 2. Retrieved 20 September 2020.