The Election Commission has officially gazetted Karunaratne Paranavithana as the new Member of Parliament, filling the seat left vacant by the resignation of Talatha Athukorala, MP for Ratnapura District.
Talatha Athukorala, a prominent member of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), announced her resignation from Parliament on August 21, 2024. In her farewell speech, Athukorala expressed her desire to avoid causing any rift within the United National Party (UNP), with which she has strong historical ties. Athukorala is the sister of the late Gamini Athukorala, a noted UNP leader, and has been serving as an MP since her election in 2004.
Karunaratne Paranavithana, who had previously received 36,787 votes in the August 2020 general election, has been selected to fill the parliamentary seat. His appointment follows the formal gazetting by the Election Commission, ensuring that the position is now officially occupied.
