14 Facts About Harin Fernando

Harin Fernando, MP was born on 28 October 1978 and is a Sri Lankan politician, Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament.

Harin Fernando is the former Minister of Tourism and Lands as well as the former Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs.

Harin Fernando previously served as the Minister of Sports before, as well as the Telecommunication, Digital Infrastructure Facilities, Foreign Employment, and Tourism ministers in previous Sri Lankan governments.

Harin Fernando was the 7th Chief Minister of Uva Province.

Harin Fernando was appointed as the United National Party electoral organizer for Badulla District when he was only 27 and won the highest number of votes in the Uva Provincial Council Election in 2005.

Harin Fernando was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Badulla District in 2010 and resigned on 5 August 2014 to contest as candidate for Chief Minister of Uva Province.

Harin Fernando became the leader of the opposition in the Uva Provincial Council.

Harin Fernando played a critical role in President Mahinda Rajapaksa's defeat in the 2015 presidential elections, after Rajapaksa called for an early election where the UPFA won narrowly at the Uva Provincial Council elections.

Harin Fernando had strongly criticised the Rajapaksa regime for its corruption, authoritarian rule and rise of lawlessness.

Harin Fernando openly campaigned for the common candidate Maithripala Sirisena in the elections.

Harin Fernando was sworn in as Chief Minister of Uva Province before the Governor and succeeded Shasheendra Rajapaksa.

Harin Fernando criticized Facebook for being too slow to combat social media users who had used Facebook and WhatsApp to plan and facilitate the anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka.

On 20 May 2022, amidst the 2022 Sri Lankan protests and political crisis, Harin Fernando was sworn in as the Minister of Tourism and Lands and officially became a member of the Rajapaksa-Wickremesinghe led cabinet, against the wishes of his own party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

On 16 August 2024, it was announced that Harin Fernando had been appointed by the President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, as the Advisor to the President on Tourism, Land, Sports, and Youth Affairs, with immediate effect.