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Former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte passed away

15 Aug, 2025

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Former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte passed away while receiving treatment in hospital. He was 57-years-old.

He was a former State Minister of Gem and Jewellery and a Member of Parliament from the Kandy District.

Ratwatte was the eldest son of General Anuruddha Ratwatte, a cabinet minister and deputy defence minister.

Ratwatte was elected to the Central Provincial Council in 2009 and was elected to parliament in the 2010 Sri Lankan parliamentary election from Kandy representing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

In 2012, he was appointed SLFP chief organizer of Pathadumbara by then President Mahinda Rajapaksa, succeeding his father General Anuruddha Ratwatta.

He was re-elected in the 2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election and the 2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election. In 2020, he was appointed State Minister of gem- and jewellery-related industries and in December 2020 he was given the additional appointed State Minister of Prison Management and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation.

In September 2021 Lohan Ratwatte was accused of threatening Tamil political prisoners.

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