Soma Wickremanayake

Hon.
Soma Wickremanayake
සෝමා වික්‍රමනයක
Member of the Ceylonese Parliament
for Dehiowita
In office
1960–1965
Preceded byEdmund Samarakkody
Succeeded byDhanapala Weerasekera
Personal details
Born
Soma Dharmawardhana

(1915-04-21)21 April 1915
Deraniyagala, Ceylon
Died25 May 1989(1989-05-25) (aged 74)
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Political partyLanka Sama Samaja Party
Other political
affiliations		Sri Lanka Freedom Party
SpouseArthur G. Wickremanayake
Children3
Alma materAnanda Sastralaya, Kotte
Professionteacher, politician

Soma Wickremanayake née Dharmawardhana (Sinhala: සෝමා වික්‍රමනයක) (21 May 1915 – 25 May 1989) was a Ceylonese educator and socialist politician.[1][2][3]

Early life

Soma Dharmawardhana was born on 21 May 1915, the eldest daughter of Dr. H. D. A. Dharmawardhana, the pharmacist on the Lakshahena Estate, Deraniyagala and Chariyaratne. She had her primary school education at the government mixed school in Aluthgama and her secondary education at Ananda Sastralaya, Kotte. She taught at Kegalu Vidyalaya, Ganemulla Vidyalaya and Kolonnawa Vidyalaya.[4] Dharmawardhana married Arthur G. Wickramanayake, an inspector with the Department of Commerce and Trade.[3] In 1939 she joined the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, becoming the secretary of the party's Women's League.[5]

Political career

At the 4th parliamentary election, held on 19 March 1960, Wickramanayake ran for the seat of Dehiowita, representing the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP). The sitting LSSP member for Dehiowita, Edmund Samarakkody, choosing to run in the Kesbewa electorate instead. Wickramanayake was elected, polling 6,606 votes (37% of the total vote), only 546 votes ahead of the United National Party candidate, A. F. Wijemanne.[6] The election results however left neither of Ceylon's two major parties with a majority, with the result being the calling of another election. She was subsequently re-elected at the 5th parliamentary election held on 20 July 1960. This time receiving 8,593 votes (50% of the total vote) and 603 votes ahead of Wijemanne.[7][8] She was one of only three female representatives elected to Parliament at that time.[9]

Wickremanayake controversially switched political allegiances from the LSSP becoming a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.[10] At the 6th parliamentary election, held on 22 March 1965, she contested the Avissawella electorate, challenging one of the LSSP's founders and the sitting member, Philip Gunawardena. She lost by 11,327 votes to Gunawardena, only securing 33% of the total vote.[11][12]

Wickremanayake died on 25 May 1989, at the age of 74.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Hon. Wickramanayake, Soma, M.P." Directory of Former Members. Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  2. ^ Hewapathirana, Lal (4 April 2010). "Female political empowerment still underachieved". The Nation. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  3. ^ a b Muthiah, Wesley S.; Thiruchandran, Selvy; Wanasinghe, Sydney (2006). Socialist women of Sri Lanka. Young Socialist Publication. pp. 138–139.
  4. ^ Wijesekera, Chitra (1995). Women in Our Legislature. Sarvodaya Vishva Lekha. pp. 160–161. ISBN 9789559579700.
  5. ^ a b Wimalaratne, K. D. G., ed. (1994). Personalities, Sri Lanka: A Biographical Study (15th-20th Century), 1490-1990 A.D. Ceylon Business Appliances Limited. p. 141. ISBN 9789559287001.
  6. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election March 1960" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election July 1960" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  8. ^ Vitarana, Tissa (17 September 2016). "A Role Model for Women Leaders: Vivienne Goonewardena". The Island. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  9. ^ Ratnapala, Neetha S. (8 March 2003). "Women - the race is yet to be won". The Daily News. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  10. ^ Wilson, A. Jeyaratnam (2010). Electoral Politics in an Emergent State: The Ceylon General Election of May 1970. Cambridge University Press. p. 89. ISBN 9780521153119.
  11. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1965" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  12. ^ Abeynaike, H. B. W.; Ameratunga, H. P. (1970). Parliament of Ceylon, 1970. Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. p. 61.