Manusha Nanayakkara

{{Short description|Sri Lankan politician}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =Hon.

| name =Manusha Nanayakkara

| native_name = මනුෂ නානායක්කාර
மனுஷ நாணயக்கார

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Manusha Nanayakkara in 2025.jpg

| caption = Manusha Nanayakkara in 2025

| office1 = Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment{{Cite web|url=https://economynext.com/sri-lanka-appoints-nine-new-cabinet-ministers-94491/|title=Sri Lanka appoints nine new cabinet ministers|website=economynext.com|date=20 May 2022 |access-date=20 May 2022}}

| president1 = Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Ranil Wickremesinghe

| primeminister1 = Ranil Wickremesinghe
Dinesh Gunawardena

| term_start1 = 20 May 2022

| term_end1 = 09 August 2024

| predecessor1 = Vidura Wickremanayake

| successor1 =

| constituency_MP2 =Galle District

| parliament2 = Sri Lanka

| term_start2 = 2010

| term_end2 = 2024

| president2 =

| predecessor2 =

| successor2 =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1977|09|24}}

| birth_place = Sri Lanka

| nationality = Sri Lankan

| party = United National Party (2023–present)
Samagi Jana Balawegaya {{small|(2020–2023)}}
Sri Lanka Freedom Party {{small|(2010–2020)}}
United National Party {{small|(until 2010)}}

| otherparty = United People's Freedom Alliance {{small|(2010–2020)}}
United National Front {{small|(until 2010)}}

| spouse = Shanika Sooriyaarachchi

| children = Menasha nanayakkara

| alma_mater = Mahinda College, Galle

| occupation = Journalist

| profession =

| religion =

| residence =

| signature =

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Manusha Nanayakkara (born 24 September 1977) is a Sri Lankan politician, Cabinet Minister, and member of Parliament for the Galle District. He is a journalist by profession and was educated at Mahinda College, Galle.[http://www.sundaytimes.lk/100418/News/page8.pdf New Faces in parliament], Sunday Times[http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca201112/20111205our_languages_heritage.htm Our languages, our heritage- President] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924082204/http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca201112/20111205our_languages_heritage.htm |date=2015-09-24 }}, Presnform He was appointed as the Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment on the 20 May 2022.{{cite news |title=Nine new Ministers sworn in amid Sri Lanka crisis|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/nine-new-ministers-sworn-in-amid-sri-lanka-crisis/article65438579.ece |website=The Hindu|date=20 May 2022 |access-date=May 20, 2022}}

On 20 May 2022, amidst the 2022 Sri Lankan protests and political crisis, Nanayakkara was sworn in as the Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment and officially became a member of the Rajapaksa-Wickremesinghe led cabinet, against the wishes of his own party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).{{cite web |title=Nine more cabinet ministers sworn in |url=http://www.adaderana.lk/news/82545/nine-more-cabinet-ministers-sworn-in}} He and fellow minister Harin Fernando had subsequently been suspended from the SJB. Both ministers would later resign from their ministerial portfolios on 9 July 2022, but would again be reappointed to their same positions by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on 22 July 2022.{{Cite web |title=New Cabinet of Ministers sworn in |url=https://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=83808 |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=www.adaderana.lk |language=en}} A year later, on 18 July 2023, the Working Committee of the SJB expelled Manusha Nanayakkara and Harin Fernando from the party.{{Cite web |title=SJB decides to expel Harin and Manusha |url=https://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=92050 |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=www.adaderana.lk |language=en}} Shortly afterwards, on 2 August 2023, Fernando and Nanayakkara were readmitted into the United National Party by the party's working committee.{{Cite web |last=bugsbunny |date=2023-08-02 |title=Harin and Manusha back in the UNP |url=https://colombogazette.com/2023/08/02/harin-and-manusha-back-in-the-unp/ |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=Colombo Gazette |language=en-US}}

On 9 August 2024, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka ruled that the decision by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya to expel Manusha Nanayakkara and Harin Fernando from the party was legally valid. As a consequence of this judgement, their expulsion resulted in the loss of their parliamentary seats and ministerial portfolios.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/Supreme-Court-Upholds-Expulsion:-Harin-and-Manusha-Lose-Parliamentary-Seats/108-289125 |title=Harin, Manusha lose Parliamentary seats |publisher=Daily Mirror Online |last=Sooriyagoda |first=Lakmal |date=9 August 2024 |accessdate=18 August 2024 |archive-date=18 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240818174122/https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/Supreme-Court-Upholds-Expulsion:-Harin-and-Manusha-Lose-Parliamentary-Seats/108-289125 |url-status=live}}

On 20 August 2024, it was announced that Manusha Nanayakkara had been appointed by the President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, as the Advisor to the President on Labour and Foreign Employment, with immediate effect.{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.lk/front-page/Manusha-appointed-Adviser-to-President-on-Labour-and-Foreign-Employment/44-765745 |title=Manusha appointed Adviser to President on Labour and Foreign Employment |publisher=Daily FT |last= |first= |date=20 August 2024 |accessdate=20 August 2024 |archive-date=20 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240820044231/https://www.ft.lk/front-page/Manusha-appointed-Adviser-to-President-on-Labour-and-Foreign-Employment/44-765745 |url-status=live}}