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| Tuesday, 1 January 2002 |
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Third lady from Kandy to be elected to Parliament: Serving the people is her task by S.M. Jiffery Abdeen - Kandy South Group Correspondent
A one time school teacher and a NGO project director claims that she comes from a humble home and has had no political background when she took to politics in 1993. She had her early education at Good Shepherd Convent, Kandy and her father was a school Principal and was in transferrable service. With her father getting posted in many schools from time to time and the family too had to go with him and she had to naturally change schools. She had her education at Akuramboda Central College, Wallala Central College and finally at Girls High School, Kandy. She graduated from the University of Peradeniya and has a degree in Social Science in addition to diplomas in several allied subjects. As a graduate teacher her first posting was at Poramadulla Central College, from there she shifted on to Teldeniya Central College before her final posting at Kengalle Maha Vidyalaya which was at her home base. From teaching she joined an NGO as a Trainee Project Director and later the Director of Women's Consumer Education Programme of the SIDA and has experience in working abroad. An excellent speaker who can keep the crowd spell-bound and at the same time spice it with humour. She can speak the way, the Muslims speak Tamil, a style of their own and she has attracted the Muslim community, this was which has paid dividends. At the same she is fluent is Sinhala and English as well. She has won the hearts of the people with her amiable ways. She speaks to people with affection aiya, malli, akka or nangi and respects elders. A hallmark of her ways is that she quickly recognises people and speaks to all. When this correspondent went to interview her, she was coming out of an office holding the hands of a humble Tamil worker. It was not a political stunt but her own ways of treating people which has made her extremely popular. She has been an instant success at politics from the time she entered the scene. Her first experience in politics was in 1993, when she was comfortably elected to the Central Provincial Council. She was re-elected in 1999 and appointed Leader of the Opposition of the Central Provincial Council late last year following the election of Kheliya Rambukwella to the Parliament. She has thus become the first women Leader of the Opposition not only in the Central Province but may be in the island too. She is full of humour and keeps those around her with her jokes which have no malice and the people enjoy it as she will always say something rib-tickling. But at the same she has nerves of steel and is firm in her orders and brooks no nonsense when it comes to work or politics. She is a remarkable person who is adept in the art of winning the hearts of the people from the first meeting onwards. She has somewhat similar features of a VVIP and she says that many people ad been telling this. She is the President of the Kandy District Netball Association and hopes to promote this sport in a big way as time goes on. She was all praise for the UNP Leader who has given her all the encouragement and support to build up her political career. She is presently the Leader of the Opposition of the Central Provincial Council and could have possibly become the third Lady Chief Minister from Asia. First being Jayalalitha from Tamil Nadu followed by our own President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. She wants to serve the people whatever post she may hold. She is dedicated to the task of serving the people. She has her own business enterprise which is animal husbandly. The first lady to be elected to Parliament form Kandy is Mrs. Tamara Kumari Illangaratne who was followed by Sriyani Daniel and third lady since Independence is Chithra Mantillake from the 12 General Elections held. She is an institution by herself and could go a long way in politics since her maiden appearance in 1993. |
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Produced by Lake House |
Chithra Mantillake from Kundasale became only the third
lady from the hill capital to be elected to Parliament when she won the General Elections
through the United National Party from the Kandy District. 
