Wiswa Warnapala

Watareke Arachchilage Wiswa Warnapala (26 December 1936 – 27 February 2016) was a Sri Lankan academic, political scientist, and politician. He played a central role in developing political science as a discipline in Sri Lanka and later served as a National List Member of Parliament, holding key ministerial portfolios including Minister of Higher Education.

Warnapala completed a B.A. (Hons) in Economics at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya in 1964. He subsequently earned an M.A. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1967 and a Ph.D. from University of Leeds in 1970. His studies focused on political science, public administration, and comparative governance.

After completing his doctoral studies, Warnapala joined the University of Peradeniya] as a faculty member. He later became Professor of Political Science and Head of the Department of Political Science. He was instrumental in establishing political science as a structured academic discipline in Sri Lanka, mentoring students, developing curricula, and publishing extensively on governance, parliamentary practice, and higher-education policy. He was particularly respected for his expertise in the Westminster parliamentary model, constitutional governance, and comparative political institutions.

Warnapala transitioned into politics later in life, serving as a National List Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2010. He held key ministerial roles including Minister of Higher Education (2007–2010) and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, representing Sri Lanka in the Soviet Union and the United Nations. In 2015, he was appointed General Secretary of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), a position he held until his death.

Warnapala was married and had two daughters and three grandchildren. He died on 27 February 2016 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He is remembered as a principled intellectual who bridged academia and public service.

• Sri Lanka Freedom Party (2013). Godage International Publishers, Colombo.
• Parliament in Sri Lanka: A Study of the Working of Parliamentary Institutions in Sri Lanka (2013). S. Godage & Brothers, Colombo.
• Aspects of Politics and Higher Education in Sri Lanka: A Collection of Essays (2011). Godage International Publishers, Colombo.
• Struggle for Socialism: The Role of the Communist Party in Sri Lanka (2011). Godage International Publishers, Colombo.
• Higher Education Policy in Sri Lanka: New Perspectives and Change (2009). Vijitha Yapa Publications, Colombo.
• Sri Lanka Soviet Relations: A Study in Retrospect (2007). Godage International Publishers, Colombo.
• Parliament and Public Accountability in Sri Lanka (2004). Godage International Publishers.
• Politics in Sri Lanka: A Collection of Essays on Personalities and Issues (2001). S. Godage & Brothers, Colombo.
• Provincial Politics in Sri Lanka: An Analysis of the Southern Provincial Council Election, 1994 (1997). Navrang.
• Ethnic Strife and Politics in Sri Lanka: An Investigation into Demands and Responses (1994). Navrang.
• Local Politics in Sri Lanka: An Analysis of the Local Government Election of May 1991 (1993). South Asian Publishers Pvt. Limited in collaboration with Windsor Marketing (Pvt.) Limited.
• The Sri Lankan Political Scene (1993). Navrang.
• Recent Politics in Sri Lanka: The Presidential Election and the Referendum of 1982: A Study of Electoral Practice and Behaviour in an Asian Democracy (1983). Navrang.
• Civil Service Administration in Ceylon: A Study in Bureaucratic Adaptation (1974). Department of Cultural Affairs.

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