Thalatha Atukorale (born 30 May 1963) is a Sri Lankan politician and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Atukorale was appointed as the cabinet minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare by President Maithripala Sirisena on 12 January 2015. She was given the additional duties of Minister of Justice on 25 August 2017, becoming the first woman to hold that position in Sri Lanka.[1] She is the sister of Gamini Atukorale, former minister and assistant leader of the United National Party.

Thalatha Atukorale
තලතා අතුකෝරල
தலதா அத்துக்கோரல
Atukorale in 2012
Minister of Justice
In office
25 August 2017 – 22 November 2019
PresidentMaithripala Sirisena
Prime MinisterRanil Wickremesinghe
Preceded byWijeyadasa Rajapakshe
Succeeded byNimal Siripala de Silva
Minister Prison Reforms
In office
1 May 2018 – 22 November 2019
PresidentMaithripala Sirisena
Prime MinisterRanil Wickremesinghe
Preceded byD.M. Swaminathan
Foreign Employment Promotion & Welfare
In office
12 January 2015 – 25 February 2018
PresidentMaithripala Sirisena
Prime MinisterRanil Wickremesinghe
Preceded byDilan Perera
Succeeded byHarin Fernando
Member of Parliament
for Ratnapura District
In office
2004 – 21 August 2024
Personal details
Born (1963-05-30) 30 May 1963 (age 61)
NationalitySri Lankan
Political partyUnited National Party
Other political
affiliations
United National Front
ProfessionAttorney-at-Law

Atukorale came into active politics in 2004, after the death of her brother Gamini, a former cabinet minister and assistant leader of the United National Party. She was elected to the parliament at the 2004, 2010 and 2015 elections from Rathnapura district.

Atukorale announced her resignation as a member of Parliament of Sri Lanka on 21 August 2024, in a parliamentary address that included scathing critique of her party’s Presidential hopeful Sajith Premadasa.[2]

See also

edit

References

edit
  • "THALATHA ATUKORALE". Directory of Members. Parliament of Sri Lanka.
Specific
  1. ^ "Thalatha and Gamini sworn in to Wijeyadasa's portfolios".
  2. ^ "Thalatha thrashes Sajith before quitting party, Parliament". Daily FT. 22 August 2024. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.