Former Chief Minister of the North Central Province Berty Premalal Dissanayake has passed away at the age of 59.
He was receiving treatment for a lengthy illness at a private hospital in Colombo when he passed away, a relative of the veteran politician said.
Dissanayake was the chief Minister of the North Central Province of Sri Lanka from June 1999 to 2012.
His son, MP Duminda Dissanayake is the current Cabinet Minister of Education Services.
Born on 15th July 1954, as the eldest child in a family of two girls and two boys, Berty Premalal Dissanayake entered politics as a secretary of Sri Lanka Freedom Party of Habarana Town Hall in 1972.
He later became the organizer of the Thalawa seat under the guidance of Sirimawo Bandaranayeka.
He was nominated for the Parliamentary Election in 1989, which he won by a considerable margin, and entered the Parliament from Anuradhapura. He served as the Minister of Social Services.
He was elected as the Chief Minister of the North Central Province in 1999 and continued in that post until 2012, when he was replaced by S.M. Ranjith, brother of former Minister S.M. Chandrasena.
