Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) was sworn in as a Member of Parliament this morning (09).
He took oaths before Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena soon after the parliamentary proceedings commenced.
Last week, the Election Commission had named Kuhadasan to fill the parliamentary seat that fell vacant following the passing of former TNA leader Rajavarothiam Sampanthan.
Former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader and former Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan passed away on July 01, at the age of 91. He had passed away while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.
A veteran Tamil politician and prominent figure in country’s main Tamil alliance - Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), his political career spanned six decades, with his first stint in the Sri Lankan parliament starting in 1977.
Sampanthan was the incumbent MP for Trincomalee District and had served in five parliaments since 1977.
A lawyer by profession, Sampanthan led the Tamil National Alliance since 2001. He was a Member of Parliament continuously from 2001 until his death in 2024, and previously served as a MP from 1977 to 1983 and from 1997 to 2000.
He was the Leader of the Opposition from September 2015 to December 2018.
