National Politics
Early years in politics
Dr. Kodituwakku first became involved with United National Party politics as a university student in the 1960’s. He joined the All Ceylon UNP Youth League in 1964 and took part in the election work of the successful campaign of 1965. Two years later, he was elected to the Youth League’s Working Committee. In 1971, the then UNP leader, Dudley Senanayake, who is respected as a role model by many aspiring politicians in Sri Lanka, appointed Dr. Kodituwakku as the Acting General Secretary of the All Ceylon UNP Youth League. In 1973, he was elected its General Secretary.
In 1974, Dr. Kodituwakku was appointed to the UNP’s Working Committee by the party’s new leader, J.R. Jayewardene. Dr. Kodituwakku’s first appointment to the Working Committee in 1974, thirty-five years ago, makes him one of the few most senior members of the UNP Working Committee at present. More…
As Governor of the North Westen Province
In October 1993, President D. B. Wijetunga appointed Dr. Kodituwakku as the Governor of the Northwestern Province. More…
As a Member of Parliament
In 1994, after Dr. Kodituwakku’s many successful years as an academic, diplomat and Governor, he resigned from this latter position to contest the Kaduwela electorate for the 1994 General Elections. The election results saw him voted into National Parliament, garnering the fifth-highest number of preferential votes from Colombo District. More…
As a Cabinet Minister of the Sri Lankan Government
The 2001 General Elections saw the UNP voted into government and Dr. Kodituwakku elected to Parliament for the third time. Dr. Kodituwakku was appointed as the Cabinet Minister of Education (More…), Cultural Affairs and Human Resource Development (More).
One of the most senior members of the UNP
Dr. Kodituwakku has been a stalwart of the UNP now for over forty years and is one of its most senior members. He has seen many ups and downs within the party, electoral victories and defeats, leadership struggles and controversies. Throughout these times, he has put his party and country before self, and always remembered that it is most important to hold the party together and help the UNP serve the country at its greatest capacity. He has never let go of what he learned from Dudley Senanayake – to face all situations as a true democrat and a real gentleman.
Dr Kodituwakku’s motto, as a member of the UNP, is
