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Funeral of veteran politician, diplomat, lawyer Mangala Moonesinghe today
View(s):Mangala Moonesinghe, veteran politician, diplomat and lawyer, passed away on Friday. He was 84.
Educated at Royal College, Colombo, Mr. Moonesinghe qualified as a Barrister in the UK and practised law in Sri Lanka on his return. He won an Eisenhower Fellowship to USA and studied Space Law at Western State University, California.
Taking to politics thereafter, he was a Samasamajist (LSSP) originally and became Member of Parliament for the Bulathsinghala seat in the then House of Representatives (later Natioal State Assembly) between 1965-1977.
He returned to Parliament in 1989 as an SLFP lawmaker from the Kalutara district, and served till 1994. He is well remembered for the role he played as Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to “Recommend Ways and Means of Achieving Peace and Political Stability in the Country”, appointed in 1991 by President R. Premadasa. The Committee concluded its sittings in September 1993, and submitted a comprehensive report to Parliament.
On his retirement from politics, Mr. Moonesinghe served as the country’s top diplomat in the two key capitals of New Delhi and London. He was Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India from 1995-2000 and High Commissioner to the UK from 2000-2002.
Mr. Moonesinghe was also a Director and a member of the Board of Governors of the Marga Institute (Sri Lanka Centre for Development Studies).
His cremation takes place today (Sunday) at the General Cemetery, Borella, at 3 p.m.