Manusha Nanayakkara (born 24 September 1977) is a Sri Lankan politician, Cabinet Minister, and member of Parliament for the Galle District. He is a journalist by profession and was educated at Mahinda College, Galle.[2][3] He was appointed as the Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment on the 20 May 2022.[4]
Manusha Nanayakkara | |
|---|---|
| මනුෂ නානායක්කාර மனுஷா நாணயக்கார | |
| Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment[1] | |
| Assumed office 20 May 2022 | |
| President | Gotabaya Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe |
| Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe Dinesh Gunawardena |
| Preceded by | Vidura Wickremanayake |
| Member of Parliament for Galle District | |
| Assumed office 2010 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 24, 1977 Sri Lanka |
| Political party | United National Party (2023–present) Samagi Jana Balawegaya (2020–2023) Sri Lanka Freedom Party (2010–2020) United National Party (until 2010) |
| Other political affiliations | United People's Freedom Alliance (2010–2020) United National Front (until 2010) |
| Spouse | Shanika Sooriyaarachchi |
| Alma mater | Mahinda College, Galle |
| Occupation | Journalist |
On 20 May 2022, amidst the 2022 Sri Lankan protests and political crisis, Nanayakkara was sworn in as the Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment and officially became a member of the Rajapaksa-Wickremesinghe led cabinet, against the wishes of his own party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).[5] He and fellow minister Harin Fernando had subsequently been suspended from the SJB. Both ministers would later resign from their ministerial portfolios on 9 July 2022, but would again be reappointed to their same positions by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on 22 July 2022.[6] A year later, on 18 July 2023, the Working Committee of the SJB expelled Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara from the party.[7] Shortly afterwards, on 2 August 2023, Fernando and Nanayakkara were readmitted into the United National Party by the party's working committee.[8]