Alahapperuma fills UPFA's vacant National List slot

Dallas Alahapperuma was yesterday appointed a Member of Parliament, from the National List. He fills the vacancy left by the demise of former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

Alahapperuma started his career as a radical journalist and edited a weekly tabloid. He also followed a stint at Law College where he was a frontline activist in SLFP politics and the livewire in the Party's Law College Union.

He entered active politics by contesting the 1993 Provincial Council elections from the Matara District under the People's Alliance, where he topped the preference vote.

In the General election that followed one year later he once again secured the highest preference vote in the district, which turned out to be the highest national percentage in the preference vote.

He served as Deputy Minister of Samurdhi and also Cultural Affairs at different times until the 2001 election which he did not contest, before leaving for the United States.

He was subsequently recalled by then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse to spearhead his Presidential election campaign.