Senior lawyer and veteran left-wing political figure Lal Wijenayake, a member of the National People’s Power (NPP) National Operations Committee and Executive Council, has passed away on Saturday evening.
Wijenayake was a prominent figure in Sri Lanka’s left-wing political movement, having served for several decades as a Politburo member of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP).
After leaving the LSSP, he played a leading role in establishing the United Left Front.
He received his education at Dharmaraja College in Kandy, the Faculty of Science at the University of Peradeniya and Sri Lanka Law College.
Wijenayake also served as the Leader of the Opposition in the first Central Provincial Council.
Despite his long political career, he remained politically active until his final days. Last week, he reportedly led efforts to establish a Left Centre in Kandy.
He had recently opposed the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution and actively campaigned against the proposed legislation on protecting the state from terrorism.
Although he publicly disagreed with the NPP-led government on constitutional matters, Wijenayake had maintained that he would continue to remain with the political movement.
Funeral arrangements will be announced later. (Newswire)
