Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi (born 10 November 1964 ) is a

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

n lawyer, politician and former cabinet minister. She is a Member of Parliament from the

Ratnapura District Ratnapura ( Sinhala: රත්නපුර දිස්ත්‍රික්කය, Tamil: இரத்தினபுரம் மாவட்டம்) is a district of Sri Lanka in the Sabaragamuwa Province. This gem-mining centre of Sri ...

Early life and education

Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi was born on 10 November 1964, as the eldest daughter of

Dharmadasa Wanniarachchi Dharmadasa Wanniarachchi () (8 June 1921 - 5 October 2007) was a Sri Lankan politician. He was the seventh Governor of the North Western Province of Sri Lanka and a former member of the Sri Lankan Parliament. Born Wanni Arachchilage Dharmadasa, h ...

and Podi Menike Weerasekera Wanniarachchi. Her father was a senior politician who served as the 7th Governor of the North Western Province from 2004 until his death in 2007 and a member of Parliament from 1967 to 1977 and from 2000 to 2001. She has one sister, Prasanna Devi Wanniarachchi, who is a lawyer. Wanniarachchi attended the Pelmadulla Mahinda Vidyalaya for her primary education. She then entered Gankanda Central College and Anula Vidyalaya Nugegoda for her secondary education. She was the Head Prefect, leader of the debating team, president of the Buddhist Association, Member of the Western band and the Captain of the 1st Volleyball Team of Anula Vidyalaya. She then entered

Sri Lanka Law College Sri Lanka Law College (abbreviated as SLLC), formerly known as Ceylon Law College, is a law college, and the only legal institution where one can enrol as an Attorney-at-Law in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1874, under the then Council of Le ...

in 1985 and took oaths as an attorney of law of the

Supreme Court of Sri Lanka The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka (; ) is the Supreme court, highest court in Sri Lanka and the final judicial instance of record. Established in 1801 and empowered to exercise its powers subject to the provisions of the Constitution of Sri Lanka ...

five years later.

Political career

In 1990 she entered politics on the invitation of the former Prime Minister

Sirimavo Bandaranaike Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike (; ; ; 17 April 1916 – 10 October 2000), commonly known as Sirimavo Bandaranaike, was a Sri Lankan politician. She was the List of elected and appointed female heads of state and government, world's first fe ...

. In 1991 she was appointed as the chief organizer for Kalawana. She then became a member of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council in 1993 and in 1994 she entered Parliament as an MP representing the Ratnapura District. After entering politics, she has held many posts both in the local and central governments. In 1994 she held the post of Deputy Minister of Health, Highways, Social Services and Welfare and in 1998 the post of Deputy Minister of Health & Indigenous Medicine. In the year 2000 she was elected as the Deputy Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the Leader of the Women's wing of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and Minister of Plan and Implementation. In 2002, while she was serving as the organiser of the Eheliyagoda seat for SLFP in 2008, she was appointed as the Chairman of the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Convention and also served as the Minister for Youth Affairs. Between 2004 and 2015 she held many posts while the SLFP lead coalition was in power. In 2004 she was appointed Minister of Samurdhi & Poverty Alleviation, in 2007 Minister of Youth Affairs, 2010 she was appointed as the Minister of Cultural and National Heritage and later that year as the Minister of Technology and Atomic Research. In the periods between 2001–2004 and 2015–2019 she was an active member of the opposition of the Parliament. From 2019 she was appointed as the Minister of Women & Child Affairs, Social Security, Health & Indigenous Medicine in government headed by the new President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

Post Held

* Minister of Women & Child Affairs, Social Security, Health & Indigenous Medicine: 2019–Present * Minister of Power & Energy: 2013 - 2015 * Minister of Technology & Research 2010 - 2013 * Minister of Cultural Affairs & National Heritage: 2010 * Chairman of Commonwealth Youth Ministers Convention: 2008 * Minister of Youth Affairs: 2007 - 2010 * Minister of Samurdhi & Poverty Alleviation: 2004 - 2007 * Minister of Plan & Implementation: 2000 - 2001 * Deputy Minister of Health & Indigenous Medicine: 1998 - 2000 * Deputy Minister of Health, Highways, Social Services & Welfare: 1994 - 1998 * Member of the Parliament for Ratnapura District: 1994–Present * Member of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council: 1993 - 1994

Other Responsibilities

* Deputy Secretary of the SLFP: 2000 onwards * Leader of the SLFP Women's Wing: 2000 onwards * Chief Organizer of the Eheliyagoda Seat for the SLFP: 2002 onwards * Chief Organizer of the Kalawana Seat of the SLFP: 1991 to 2002

Family

Pavithra Wanniarachchi's husband is Kanchana Jayaratne, who is the Chairman of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council and also serves as her Private Secretary. She has two daughters.

Controversies

Dismissal of Medical Regulatory Authority Members

In March 2021, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi dismissed five members of the

Sri Lanka Medical Council The Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) is a statutory body established in 1998, replacing the former Ceylon Medical Council. It is tasked with the regulation of the medical profession, upholding medical ethnical practices, standards of education and ...

(SLMC), including its President, Prof.

Harendra De Silva Harendra de Silva is a pediatrician whose efforts have helped to create awareness of child abuse in Sri Lanka. Education de Silva was educated at Ananda College Colombo, before he entered the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, where he ...

. This action followed allegations from the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) regarding issues within the council. The move sparked division within the medical community, with debates over the legality and implications of the dismissals.

Approval of COVID-19 Vaccines Without Sufficient Data

Minister Wanniarachchi faced criticism for approving

COVID-19 vaccines A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Knowledge about the structure and func ...

, particularly the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, without comprehensive efficacy and safety data. In April 2021, Consultant Paediatrician Dr. Lakkumar Fernando, a board member of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), was dismissed after opposing the approval due to the lack of data. This decision raised concerns about vaccine safety and the transparency of approval processes.

Handling of the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister Wanniarachchi's administration promoted traditional remedies, such as the "Dhammika Paniya" herbal concoction, as cures for COVID-19. This approach faced ridicule, with critics labeling it as pseudoscience and expressing concerns over its efficacy. The promotion of such remedies, alongside government-endorsed vaccination efforts, highlighted a blend of traditional and modern medical practices in the public health response.

Remarks on Crisis Management

In March 2022, upon assuming duties as the Minister of Power and Energy, Pavithra Wanniarachchi emphasized that public servants should not evade crises or assign blame. She advocated for collaborative efforts to address challenges, referencing her previous tenure where she transformed the Petroleum Corporation from a loss-incurring entity to a profitable one.

De-gazetting of Vidattaltivu Nature Reserve

In May 2024, as Minister of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation, Pavithra Wanniarachchi controversially decided to remove the protected status of certain areas within the Vidattaltivu Nature Reserve. This action was perceived as paving the way for aquaculture development, raising environmental concerns due to potential ecological degradation.

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wanniarachchi, Pavithra Devi Members of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Women legislators in Sri Lanka Living people Members of the 10th Parliament of Sri Lanka Members of the 11th Parliament of Sri Lanka Members of the 12th Parliament of Sri Lanka Members of the 13th Parliament of Sri Lanka Members of the 14th Parliament of Sri Lanka Members of the 15th Parliament of Sri Lanka Members of the 16th Parliament of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Freedom Party politicians United People's Freedom Alliance politicians 1964 births People from Ratnapura Culture ministers of Sri Lanka Power ministers of Sri Lanka 20th-century Sri Lankan women politicians 21st-century Sri Lankan women politicians Women government ministers of Sri Lanka