Mahinda Deshapriya

Mahinda Deshapriya (Sinhala: මහින්ද දේශප්රිය) is the current Chairman of Election Commission of Sri Lanka. On 30th November 2019 he informed the speaker of parliament that he would resign from the post and his intention has been informed to the president Gotabhaya Rajapaksa .

Early life and career

Mr. Deshapriya attended Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda. He graduated from University of Peradeniya in physical science. Then he started his career as a Chemistry and Mathematics teacher at Dharmasoka College which was his alma mater. He joined with Sri Lanka Administrative Services through Department of Elections in 1982 and progressed through his career until becoming the commissioner of the Department of Elections. During his career, he served as Assistant Commissioner of Elections, District Returning Officer of Jaffna District (1998), Deputy Commissioner (2006) and Additional Commissioner (2010) positions.

Awards

• "Sri Lankan of the Year" by Lanka Market Digest in 2015
• "Public Servant of the Year" by Derana TV channel 2016