Neal de Alwis

Hon.
Neal de Alwis
Deputy Minister of Finance
In office
1 October 1975 – 4 February 1977
Preceded byNanediri Wimalasena
Succeeded byFestus Perera
Deputy Minister of Public Administration, Local Government and Home Affairs
In office
September 1970 – 1975
Member of the Ceylon Parliament
for Udugama
In office
1952–1956
Preceded byD. S. Goonesekera
Succeeded byUdugama
Member of the Ceylon Parliament
for Baddegama electorate
In office
March 1960 – 1977
Preceded byHenry Abeywickrema
Succeeded byE. D. Wickrematilaka
Personal details
Born(1914-01-19)19 January 1914
Galle, Ceylon
NationalitySri Lankan
Political partyLanka Sama Samaja Party
Professionpolitician

William Neal de Alwis (born 19 January 1914) was a Ceylonese politician[1] and a senior member of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party.

William Neal de Alwis was born on 19 January 1914, and he received his education at Newstead Girls' School, Negombo, All Saints College, Galle and St. Joseph's College, Colombo.[2]

At the 1st parliamentary election, held between 23 August 1947 and 20 September 1947, he ran as the LSSP candidate in the Udugama electorate. He failed to get elected losing by 5,464 votes to the United National Party candidate, D. S. Goonesekera.[3] At the 2nd parliamentary election, held between 24 May 1952 and 30 May 1952, he successfully contested the seat of Udugama, securing 43% of the total vote, defeating Goonesekera by 2,735 votes.[4] He was unable to retain the electorate at the 3rd parliamentary election held between 5 April 1956 and 10 April 1956, where he lost to Goonesekera, who represented the newly formed Sri Lanka Freedom Party, by 2,311 votes.[5]

At the 4th parliamentary election, held on 19 March 1960, he ran as the LSSP candidate in the Baddegama electorate. Whilst de Alwis only received less than 20% of the total vote, out of a field of nine candidates, it was sufficient for him to secure the seat and re-enter parliament.[6] At the subsequent parliamentary elections held on 20 July 1960 he retained the seat with an increased majority, receiving 11,692 votes (49% of the total vote).[7]

On 27 January 1962, officers of the Army and Police attempted a coup d'état aimed at overthrowing the government of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. The key leaders were arrested before the coup was carried out however not before the first and only arrest of the coup occurred, with de Alwis was arrested at his residence at 9.30pm and detained for nine hours in Police custody.[8][9]

At the 1970 parliamentary election, held in May, de Alwis was re-elected to Baddegama, with 22,126 votes (57.5% of the total vote).[10] In 1968 the LSSP formed a political alliance, the United Front, with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Communist Party of Sri Lanka (CPSL), with the United Front successfully winning the 1970 parliamentary election.[11] In September 1970 de Alwis was appointed Deputy Minister of Public Administration, Local Government and Home Affairs.[12]

On 1 October 1975 de Alwis was appointed as Deputy Minister of Finance as part of the Second Sirimavo Bandaranaike cabinet, a position he retained until February 1977.[13][14]

At the 8th parliamentary election held on 21 July 1977, de Alwis switched allegiance to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party,[11] however he failed to get re-elected, and was defeated at the polls by the UNP candidate, E. D. Wickrematilaka, who received 23,375 votes (52% of the total vote) as opposed to de Alwis’ 17,778 votes (39.5% of the total vote).[15]

  1. ^ "Hon. de Alwis, William Neal, M.P." Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  2. ^ Parliaments of Ceylon. Associated Newspapers of Ceylon. 1960. pp. 83–84.
  3. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1947" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 16 November 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1952" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 16 November 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1956" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 16 November 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election March 1960" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 16 November 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  7. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election July 1960" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 29 April 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ Abeynayake, Stanley E. (2 March 2010). "Attempts at coup d'etat". Daily News. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  9. ^ "Coup in Sri Lanka". Lankanewspapers.com. 8 December 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  10. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1970" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 16 November 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  11. ^ a b Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (15 February 2004). "Mother, daughter and revolutionary comrades". The Sunday Leader. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  12. ^ Ceylon Year Book, Volume 21. Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka. 1971. p. 18.
  13. ^ Sri Lanka Year Book 1975 (PDF). Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka. pp. 18–19.
  14. ^ "List of Ministers and Deputy Ministers". Ministry of Finance. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  15. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1977" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 29 April 2017.[permanent dead link‍]