Former Member of Parliament Nandana Gunathilaka passed away this morning . He was 63 years old when he passed away after a long illness.
Nandana Gunathilaka is considered to have provided leadership to build the JVP after the party was severely suppressed after the assassination of Rohana Wijeweera and Upatissa Gamanayake. He served as a prominent leader and a skilled orator of the JVP for many years and also served as its secretary.
He was the JVP candidate in the 1999 presidential election and came third in that election. Nandana Gunathilaka, who represented the Kalutara District in Parliament, later left the JVP due to problems with its ideology.
He then joined the United National Party and contested the Panadura Municipal Council on behalf of the party, becoming its Chairman.