W. G. M. Albert Silva

Wijeweera Goonawardene Mahavidanege Albert Silva (15 January 1918 – ?) was a Ceylonese politician.[1]

Hon.

W. G. M. Albert Silva
Member of the Ceylon Parliament
for Buttala
In office
19 April 1956 – 1960
Preceded byGladwin Kotelawala
Succeeded byconstituency abolished
Member of the Ceylon Parliament
for Monaragala
In office
1960–1965
Preceded byconstituency established
Succeeded byRaja Welegama
Personal details
Born
Wijeweera Goonawardene Mahavidanege Albert Silva

(1918-01-15)15 January 1918
NationalityCeylonese
Political partySri Lanka Freedom Party
Professionpolitician

Silva was educated at the Sinhala Mixed School in Monaragala and in 1949 was appointed as town headman of Muppane.[2]

Prior to the 2nd parliamentary election held in May 1952, Silva gave up his post as headman so that he could contest the seat of Buttala as an Independent. He received 1,272 votes (10.75% of the total vote), 7,024 votes behind the incumbent member, Leo Fernando, from the United National Party.[3][4] He didn't run in the 1955 parliamentary by-election, held on 5 March 1955, following the death of the sitting member, Sir Leo Fernando.[5]

Silva, this time running as the candidate for Sri Lanka Freedom Party, was successful at the 3rd parliamentary election held in April 1956, defeating Gladwin Kotelawala by 3,281, securing 7,416 votes (634% of the total vote).[6]

At the March 1960 elections to the fourth parliament, Silva came forward for the newly-demarcated seat of Monaragala as the Sri Lanka Freedom Party candidate and was returned, receiving 3,738 votes (38% of the total vote).[7] However, as the election left neither of the country's two major parties with a majority, another election was called. At the subsequent 5th parliamentary election held on 20 July 1960, Silva retained his seat, polling 5,475 votes (58% of the total vote).[8]

On 3 December 1964, he crossed the floor with Charles Percival de Silva, the deputy party leader, and twelve other members of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to vote against the government's bill to nationalise the country's newspapers, resulting in defeat of the government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike by one vote.[9][10] At the ensuing general parliamentary elections in 1965 Silva ran as the candidate for the National Liberation Front (Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna) but failed to get re-elected, losing to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party's candidate, Raja Welegama, by 7,556 votes, with Silva only polling 701 votes (3.9% of the total vote).[11]

Silva didn't contest the 7th parliamentary election, held on 27 May 1970,[12] but did run for the seat of Monaragala at the 8th parliamentary election, held on 21 July 1977. He finished fifth in a field of six, only polling 297 votes (1.2% of the total vote), 12,019 votes behind the successful United National Party candidate, R. M. Punchi Bandara.[13]

References
  1. "Hon. Silva, Wijeweera Goonawardene Mahavidanege Albert, M.P." Directory of Past Members. Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  2. "Parliaments of Ceylon". Associated Newspapers of Ceylon. 1960: 150. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1952" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  4. "The Ceylon Historical Journal". 1–2. Tisara Prakasakayo. 1965: 175. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. "Result of the Parliamentary By-Elections held between 1947 and 1988" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
  6. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1956" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  7. "Result of Parliamentary General Election March 1960" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  8. "Result of Parliamentary General Election July 1960" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  9. Kumarasinghe, Uditha (6 December 2015). "Firing the first salvo for press freedom". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  10. Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (12 December 2014). "How C.P. de Silva Crossed Over With 13 MP's From SLFP Governmenton Dec 3rd 1964". Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)The Daily Mirror. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  11. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1965" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  12. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1970" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  13. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1977" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka.
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