H. A. Goonesekera

Henry Abeywickrema Goonesekera was a Ceylonese politician, who was a member of the 2nd State Council of Ceylon.[1][2]

Goonesekera was adopted as child by the Mahawelatenne family and as they had no male heir was appointed Rate Mahatmaya for Balangoda, a position usually reserved for the Kandyan Radala.[3][4]

On the 25 February 1936 he was elected to the 2nd State Council of Ceylon representing Balangoda. Goonesekera defeated the sitting member, Col. T. G. Jayawardene, 14,539 votes to 10,360 votes.[3] He was appointed to the Executive Committee for Home Affairs.[5][6]

In April 1943 the Bribery Commissioner found that Goonesekera, E. W. Abeygunasekera, Charles Batuwantudawe, D. D. Gunasekera and E. R. Tambimuttu had accepted bribes in the exercise of their duties as members of the Executive Committee for Home Affairs.[7][8] As a result Goonesekera resigned from the State Council on 25 May 1943.[2] At the subsequent by-election held in October that year Sir Francis Molamure was elected.

References
  1. "Hon. Goonesekera, Henry Abeywickrema, M.P." Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  2. Members of the Legislatures of Ceylon: 1931-1972. National State Assembly Library. 1972. p. 54.
  3. Jiggins, Janice (1979). Caste and Family Politics of the Sinhalese 1947-1976. Cambridge University Press. p. 100. ISBN 9780521220699.
  4. Ferguson's Ceylon Directory. Colombo: The Ceylon Observer Press. 1917. p. 53.
  5. The Dominions Office and Colonial Office List Comprising Historical and Statistical Information Respecting the Overseas Dominions and Colonial Dependencies of Great Britain. Colonial Office. 1940. p. 284.
  6. Ferguson's Ceylon Directory. Colombo: The Ceylon Observer Press. 1942. p. 211.
  7. "Parliamentary Debates". 41 (15–28). Parliament of Sri Lanka. 1961: 3778. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. Goonetilleke, T. V. (1984). Facets of Our Legislature. Library of Parliament. p. 39-40.
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