The Cabinet 2001

A lawyer, he entered main line politics in 1977 as a duputy minister, then became minister of youth affairs, education and industries, science & technology and leader of thr House and rose to be Prime Minister after the assassination of President Premadasa in May 1993. Since August 1994 he has been leader of the the Opposition.

Tilak Marapana - Defence

A former Attorney General. He has BSc in Chemistry and LLB (law) degrees. First entered Parliament on the UNP's national list last year.

S.B. Dissanayake - Agriculture & Livestock

A graduate in business administration, he came to politics first in from the Communist Party and then rose to controversial heights in the SLFP. From 1994 he was a powerful minister of the PA govt. and General Scretary of the SLFP till he led a rebellion which rocked and brought down the PA govt.

Prof. G.L. Peiris - Enterprise Development, Industrial Policy & Investment Promotion & Constitutional Affairs

A Rhodes scholar, author and a former vice chancellor of the Colombo university he entered politics in 1994 as a powerful minister and confidante of President Kumaratunga in the inner circles of the cabinet. He later fell-out with the President and joined S.B. Dissanayake in the rebellion.

W.J.M. Lokubandara - Justice, Law Reform & National Integration

A lawyer and a Sinhala scholar, he was the assistant legal draughtsman till he entered parliament in 1977. He was a deputy minister, then minister in the Premadasa government and opposition whip during the past few years. 

John Amaratunge - Interior

A lawyer by profession, he became MP for Wattala following the death of Shelton Jayasinghe. A former deputy minister of foreign affairs, he was later made minister of provincial councils. 

Gamini Lokuge - Tourism

A trade unionist, he first entered parliament in 1983 and was a deputy minister in the Premadasa administration. 

Petikirige Dayaratne - Health, Nutrition & Welfare

An electrical engineer, he first entered parliament in 1977 and held several portfolios.

Gamini Jayawickreme Perera - Irrigation & Water Management

Entered politics in 1968 and has served as cabinet minister, chief minister of Wayamba and assistant secretary of the UNP.

A.R.M. Abdul Cader - Co-operatives

A businessman and provincial minister, he entered parliament in 1994.

Rukman Senanayake - Environment & Natural Resources

The grandson of D.S. Senanayake and son of Robert Senanayake. He entered Parliament in 1973 as the member for Dedigama. He later formed the Eksath Lanka Janatha Party but came back to the UNP.

Amara Piyaseeli Ratnayake - Women's Affairs

A trained teacher, Mrs. Ratnayake entered politics to fill a void created by the assassination of her husband who was the UNP organizer for Wariyapola in1975. Entered Parliament in 1977.

Bandula Gunawardana - Rural Economy

An economist, teacher , author and award winning film producer. He first entered parliament in 1989, was defeated in 1994 but came back last year and crossed over in October 2001.

Karu Jayasuriya - Power & Energy

A businessman, he entered politics and handpicked by the party leadership to be UNP chairman. In 1997 he was elected as Mayor of Colombo. Though failing in his bid to be Chief Minister of the Western Province, he was elected to Parliament last year with a huge majority.

K.N. Choksy - Finance

A distinguished legal luminary and a President's Counsel. A co-architect of the 1978 Constitution, he was appointed to the Cabinet of ministers in 1993 and held the portfolio of constitutional and state affairs. 

Gamini Athukorale - Transport, Highways & Aviation

Assistant leader of the UNP. A landed proprietor he entered Parliament at the tender age of 26 years creating a record by winning the Nivithigala seat. He was made the deputy minister of youth affairs & Employment and given cabinet rank in 1991, the vital ministry of lands, irrigation and Mahaweli development. 

Lakshman Kiriella - Plantation Industries

A lawyer, he was a deputy minister in the Kumaratunga government from 1994 and later minister. But despite his seniority in the party he was dropped from the cabinet when it was slashed to 20 and he crossed over with the rebel group. 

Ananda Kularatne - Southern Region Development

A businessman, he entered Parliament in 1983 and was a deputy minister in the Premadasa govt.

Rauff Hakeem - Port Development & Shipping & Eastern Development & Muslim Religious Affairs

A lawyer, he entered parliament in 1994 and was the deputy chairman of committees. After the death of party leader M.H.M. Ashraff, he took over the SLMC leadership. He was a pivotalcabinet minister in the previous regime but was sacked from the cabinet in July, precipitating the tumultuous political changes of the following months.

M.H. Mohamed - Western Region Development

Entered politics in 1943, former Mayor of Colombo, minister in several UNP governments and Speaker from 1989 till 1994. 

Arumugam Thondaman - Housing & Plantation Infrastructure

Grandson of Saumyamoorthy Thondaman, he succeeded his grandfather both as leader of the CWC and as a cabinet minister in the PA govt. 

Tyronne Fernando - Foreign Affairs

A lawyer and a President's Counsel. Holds Masters degree in Political science from the Oxford University, Barrister's from Gray's Inn and a Diploma holder in Journalism from the London School of Journalism.

He was a deputy minister of foreign affairs during J.R. Jayewardene's regime and the Minister of Information in 1993. 

Alick Aluvihare - Home Affairs, Provincial Councils & Local Government

He began his political career at the local level, and became Mayor of Matale before successfully becoming the MP for Matale. He has held a series of portfolios.. 

Tissa Attanayake - Central Region Development

Entered Parliament at the age of 28, He was made the minister for higher education in 1993 and was made minister in charge of universities a year later. A graduate in commerce.

Mahinda Wijesekera - Fisheries & Ocean Resources

Starting as a Communist Party member, he was a frontline figure in the JVP and was jailed for 4 years after the abortive 1971 insurrection. Later joined the PA, became a deputy minister in 1994 and was subsequently elevated as a minister. But he fell out with the president and joined the PA rebel group.

It's him, say Madawala survivors

By Faraza Farook and Nilika de Silva in Kandy

While family members and SLMC supporters continue to hold protest meetings, human right activists have urged that justice be done.

Meanwhile, though ex minister Anuruddha Ratwatte at a recent news conference in Colombo denied any involvement of himself or his son Lohan in the incident, the Teldeniya Magistrate on Wednesday told the police to arrest Lohan Ratwatte on the basis of evidence that had emerged including direct accounts from three survivors.

These survivors, now being held in safe custody have reportedly testified that they had identified Lohan Ratwatte among those at the scene.

The Teldeniya magistrate also ordered that Lohan Ratwatte's passport be impounded and the case is proceeding. A Human Rights Commission team also visited Udathalawinna this week, HRC Secretary R.C. Karunakaran said.

In a letter to the Police Chief, lawyers representing the victims have called for the removal of Kandy DIG Mahinda Balasuriya, accusing him of taking little or no action to prevent atrocities allegedly carried out by the PSD, MSD and members of the armed forces allegedly deployed by Gen. Ratwatte.

"We are reliably informed that two Defender jeeps have been taken into custody on the suspicion these vehicles had been used in the crime. We have information that DIG Balasuriya had ordered the release of these two vehicle to the registered owner - the Petroleum Corporation which was then under Mr. Ratwatte," the lawyers, Samararatne Associates, said.

According to information given to us the drivers of the two vehicles are willing to give evidence, but are allegedly being restrained by those linked to Gen. Ratwatte. Some Army personnel alleged to have been involved in the incident were reportedly transferred from Colombo to Jaffna. 

The other vehicle used in the operation was a white van reportedly brought from Kurunegala. According to witnesses this van had by flashing its headlights given indication to the two Defender vehicles on the whereabouts of the van carrying the SLMC supporters.

The SLMC van packed with people and high backed seats, gave little chance for the occupants to escape the bullets that came from all directions. While a few managed to duck under the seats others fell direct victims to the fire. One died while fleeing from the van, witnesses said.

The blood had hardly dried on the spot more than a week after the horrendous incident, but the terrified villagers still refused to speak for fear of their lives.

Ten days after the Madawala massacre, the families of the ten victims were still in a state of shock and disbelief. While the gruesome incident was still fresh in the minds of the Madawala masses, the families recalled it with much pain.

For many of the victims' families, the election day nightmare had changed their lives from bad to worse with the victims in many instances having been the sole breadwinners of the family.

Fazeel Mohamed (24), the only son in a family with seven girls, had not been interested in party politics, but was concerned about the welfare of the village. He joined his friends in an effort to safeguard the ballot boxes, his cousin, M. Shaafi said.

With bombs being thrown about to disrupt elections last year, the youth in the village were determined to ensure there was less violence this time. Thus they decided to escort the ballot boxes to the counting centre, despite pleas and warnings by their families and villagers of a possible attack.

Fazeel, an electrician, provided a steady source of income to the family. The family had no permamnent dwelling and Fazeel was building one when he was brutally taken away.

With no permanent dwelling, Fazeel was in the process of building a house. Today, the family is left with only the meagre income brought in by his ailing father who is a labourer.

Twenty one year old H.M. Rizwan had also shown little interest even in casting his vote, but was persuaded by his parents. Rizwan who left in the afternoon in casting his vote never returned home, his mother Jazeema recalled.

"When we heard about the incident, we ran to the main road, but it never occurred to us that our son was also a victim. Only at 11 that night were we told that Rizwan was in a critical condition, but he was actually dead".

"We heard that Rizwan had fallen on the road as he tried to escape, and been shot mercilessly. He was the first to be rushed to hospital and died one and half hours after admission and he was the last to be buried," his grieving mother said.

Many people in Madawala said they had little doubt about the Ratwatte family's involvement in the attack. 

"A few days before the election, Gen. Ratwatte said at a meeting that his sons would be in charge in Madawala," said M.M.M. Iqbal whose son was also a victim. He claimed that Defender vehicles were on the move on election day carrying masked men with arms.

Mr. Iqbal said he saw his son, M.I.M.H. Hazwer (27) going towards the ill fated van which had been parked about 50 yards from the house. Hours later he found his son lying dead in the backseat. 

"The police said there were bombs in the van and prevented us from going closer. But it was obvious that these bombs had been placed by the killers," he claimed.The bombs were placed on open palms of the victims. If they were carrying the bombs with them, when they were shot, these bombs would have either fallen or the victims would have been holding on to them tightly. But that was not the case here," he said.

Minutes before the tragedy Mohamed Faizal (25) a staunch supporter of the SLMC, had called a friend to say that something was going to happen to them and that they were being chased. Thereafter his mobile failed to function.

His mother sadly recalled how she had asked her son not to go, having heard there were armed men waiting at Polgolla to attack. "When I called him and told him of what I'd heard, he promised not to go and said that he would return home in 15 minutes. But, I only received the message of his death," she said.

It was also reported that the assailants, before leaving the site had slapped the faces of the victims to ensure that they were dead. Meanwhile the bullet-riddled vehicle was at the Wattegama police station while investigations had been taken over by the CID. At least 41 bullet marks were seen on the rear door of the white dolphin van with police estimating a minimum of 120-150 bullets to have been used.

Wattegama OIC Upali Nawalage said that firing had taken place at close range within a distance of five to six metres. He said 11 bombs and a grenade were found at the site.