Champika premadasa biography

By Sankalpa Marasinghe –

Dr. Maurice Hilleman, a microbiologist, quietly developed over 40 vaccines, including those for measles, mumps, and rubella. His dedication and competence saved countless lives, yet his name remained largely unknown to the public. It was only in recent years that the world began to recognize Hilleman’s extraordinary contributions to global public health, highlighting the often-overlooked heroes working behind the scenes.

Much like the unheralded genius of Dr. Maurice Hilleman, whose groundbreaking contributions to clinical medicine went tragically unnoticed in his time, there exists a contemporary figure among us. This modern-day champion quietly renders invaluable service to both society and the nation, operating in the shadows of obscurity despite the profound benefits brought to us by his selfless endeavors.

In the history of Sri Lanka, no politician has successfully secured candidacy for the head of state solely by demonstrating their ability, efficiency, and accuracy of work, along with inspirational leadership in the face of significant challenges, particularly as an opposition figure without executive power. The possession of ruling power and administrative capacity is deemed essential to illustrate a politician’s leadership prowess and capability when elected to govern.

An exception to this norm can be observed in the case of Ranasinghe Premadasa, who notably exhibited his adeptness in planning, managing, and executing large-scale projects such as Udagama and Gamudawa. Ironically, his son is now a contender similar to Champika for the presidential candidacy. Distinct from Sajith Premadasa and reminiscent of his father, Ranasinghe Premadasa, Champika faces the challenging task of diverging from conventional paths to emerge as a leader of the nation not originating from the political elite.

Champika Ranawaka‘s journey to aspiring for the position of head of state differs

Background

Champika Premadasa, born in 1948, is a businessman and a politician in Sri Lanka. He had his formal education at Gabbela Sirisangabo Vidyalaya, Kegalle.

C. Premadasa, from Kegalle district, represents the United National Party, the main right-wing political party in Sri Lanka. According to the manthri.lk, a web page to rank the Members of Parliament in Sri Lanka, C. Premadasa’s engagement in topics of Trade and Industry is “average” and Economy and Finance is “poor”.

Links to the Tobacco Industry

C. Premadasa owns a beedi (a domestically produced smoking tobacco product) manufacturing company producing under the brand “Champika Beedi”. It is a component of Champika Group of Companies, registered as Champika Premadasa Private Limited, of which he is the current Chairman. Their other businesses include:

• Tourism
• Jewellry
• Printing

Political/Government Positions held

Tobacco Related Activities

Tobacco Unmasked Resources

The local language translations

Notes