D. C. W. Kannangara

Don Christopher Wijesinghe Kannangara (3 June 1913 - ?) was a prominent landowner and Ceylonese politician.[1][2]

Hon. D. C. W. Kannangara MP
Member of the Ceylon Parliament for Panadura
In office 1952–1956
Preceded by	Henry Peiris
Succeeded by	Leslie Goonewardena
Member of the Ceylon Parliament for Bandaragama
In office March 1960 – July 1960
Preceded by	seat created
Succeeded by	K. D. David Perera
Personal details
Born	(1913-06-03)3 June 1913
Nationality	Ceylonese
Political party	United National Party
Profession	politician

At the 1st parliamentary election, held on 16 September 1947, Kannangara unsuccessfully contested the Pandura electorate as an independent candidate, receiving only 6,729 votes as opposed to the Bolshevik Samasamaja Party candidate, Henry Peiris, who won with 16,435 votes.[3][4]

Kannangara challenged again for the seat of Pandura at the 2nd parliamentary election held between 24 May 1952 and 30 May 1952 but this time as the United National Party candidate, defeating the incumbent Pieris by 3,856 votes.[5]

At the 1956 parliamentary elections he was defeated, like a number of United National party nominees, with Leslie Goonewardene from the Lanka Sama Samaja Party polling 29,362 votes to Kannangara's 11,032.[6]

Kannangara subsequently contested the Bandaragama electorate at the parliamentary elections in March 1960, which he won by 3,123 votes over his Sri Lanka Freedom Party rival, K. D. David Perera.[7] However as the election left neither of the country's two major parties with a majority, another election was called. At the subsequent July election Kannangara was defeated by the Perera by 5,666 votes.[8]

Kannangara ran again at the 1965 parliamentary elections but was again defeated by Perera, this time by 3,421 votes.[9] He stood for a fourth time at the 1970 parliamentary elections, where he lost to the Sri Lanka Freedom party candidate, Herbert Wickramasinghe, by 11,969 votes.[10] Perera having been disqualified earlier in 1968 from running for parliament.[11]

References

1. "Hon. Kannangara, Don Christopher Wijesinghe, M.P." Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
2. Members of the Legislatures of Ceylon: 1931-1972. Library, National State Assembly. 1972. p. 101.
3. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1947" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
4. Prakasakayo, Tisara (1965). The Ceylon Historical Journal, Volumes 1-2. p. 153.
5. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1952" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
6. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1956" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
7. "Result of Parliamentary General Election March 1960" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
8. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 20 July 1960" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
9. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1970" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
10. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1970" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
11. "Election Petition No. 5 o f 1967—Electoral District No. 27 (Bandaragama)" (PDF). Supreme Court of Ceylon. June 1968. Retrieved 1 June 2018.