Kanaka Herath takes a break from politics
Sri Lanka’s former State Technology Minister Kanaka Herath has decided to take a break from politics, like dozens of seniors, and pursue a doctorate in engineering, citing that he wanted to take a step back as “people wanted to change at any cost.”
Herath’s decision comes after several prominent Sri Lankan politicians who previously held senior ministerial positions have announced they will not contest in the upcoming parliamentary elections, citing limited political opportunities.
Herath, under former president Ranil Wickremesinghe’s administration, headed the expansion of the digital economy. Some of the projects under his ministry were implemented more slowly than expected.
“I am happy that I was able to be a part of the country’s economic resurgence. As the state minister of Technology, I was able to formulate the digital roadmap for the country till 2030,” the 48-year-old former legislator said.
Herath, the son of veteran politician Maheepala Herath, first became a legislator from Sri Lanka’s central district of Kegalle when he was 34 years old in 2010 and had been in the parliament continuously until the new president Anura Kumara Dissanayake dissolved the parliament last month.
Hearth said his ministry under the previous government had already executed the digital roadmap plan, and by continuing the same strategy, it will build the digital public infrastructure, enabling the country to eliminate waste and corruption and build efficient government services for the public.
“However, as I understand, people wanted change at any cost. Therefore, I need to take a step back at this juncture,” he said.
“So, I will use this time to pursue my engineering career, complete my PhD at the University of Moratuwa, and spend quality time with my family.”
“I will continue to represent the people of my district and stand with the political ideology I believe in.”
Herath is the latest to announce his intention not to contest in the upcoming polls scheduled for Nov. 14, in which political analysts say President Anura Kumara Dissanayake-led mostly Marxist ruling party candidates have more chances of winning the general elections against fragmented opposition parties.
The decision by former senior politicians not to contest the elections also came two years after mass protests, which called for a change in the governance and demanded new faces in the parliament.