An illustrious public servant

Chandrananda De Silva

Deshamanya R. K. Chandrananda de Silva (78) passed away peacefully on March 21 (Saturday) at his residence in Rajagiriya.

Hailing from Matara, he was an old boy of Rahula College, Matara, and he served as the Old Boys’ Association Colombo branch President for 20 years. He graduated from the Peradeniya University with a Special in Economics. He was also a keen athlete in university. He later completed his LLB and also his postgraduate studies in Development Economics at the Cambridge University, UK.

He had an illustrious career in the public service where he held several senior positions. He served as the Elections Commissioner from 1982 to 1994. Mr. de Silva is credited with holding the first presidential and parliamentary elections after the 1978 Constitution. This was a challenge because of the considerable structural changes to the electoral system. It was the first time that elections were held while a power structure-either the executive president or the Parliament- was already in place. After the first presidential election and the referendum in 1982, he published a comprehensive report on the election. Through his courageous conduct and unwavering principles, he was able to maintain the integrity of the position of the Elections Commissioner, even managing to hold elections during turbulent times in the country including the period during the ’88 – ’89 riots.

He was the first Defence Ministry Civilian Secretary, a position he held for seven years. He served as an advisor to former President Chandrika Kumaratunage and also as a diplomat.

Mr. de Silva is survived by his wife Dayani, Retired Inland Revenue Department Commissioner-General, and his two children, Kumari and Dushantha. His body lies at his residence, No. 1, Rajagiriya Udyana, Nawala Road, Rajagiriya and will be cremated on March 23 (Monday) evening at the General Cemetery, Kanatta.