Ranasinghe Premadasa

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Ranasinghe Premadasa
In office
January 2, 1989 – May 1, 1993
Preceded by Junius Richard Jayawardene
Succeeded by Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
In office
February 6, 1978 – March 3, 1989
Preceded by Junius Richard Jayawardene
Succeeded by Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
Born June 23, 1923(1923-06-23)
Colombo, Ceylon
Died May 1, 1993 (aged 69)
Colombo, Sri Lanka (assassinated)
Political party United National Party
Spouse Hema Premadasa
Religion Buddhism

Ranasinghe Premadasa (June 23, 1924 - May 1, 1993) was the 3rd President of Sri Lanka from January 2, 1989 to May 1, 1993. Before that, he served as the Prime Minister in the government headed by J. R. Jayewardene from February 6, 1978 to January 1, 1989. He was assassinated in Colombo in a suicide bombing, by the LTTE.[1] [1]

Contents

[edit] Early life

Ranasinghe Premadasa came from a family of modest means, as such his political rise was resented by some of his rivals from the two or three Govigama caste families who had inherited political power, during and post British colonial rule. He attended St Joseph's College, Colombo which at that time had started an oriental languages course. Richard Ranasingha wished his son to follow this course. He originally planned to be a journalist, and translated an autobiography of Jawaharlal Nehru into Sinhala.

Premadasa was married to Hema Premadasa and had two children. Sajith Premadasa, his son, is the MP for Hambantota district.

[edit] Political career

Premadasa's entry into politics was made from the Labour Party, then headed by A.E.Goonesinghe. Having realized that the Labour Party in the 1950s didn't have a very promising future, Premadasa joined the moderate United National Party, and became the first non-Govigama politician to reach to the highest levels in democratic, post-independence Sri Lanka.

During his tenure as Minister of Broadcasting in Dudley Senanayake's cabinet, Premadasa turned Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia, into a public corporation - the Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation on 5 January 1967.

Part of his political program was shelter for the poor, after the United Nations declared a Year of Shelter. Other policies included Jana Saviya, the instrument he used to help the poor, a foster parents scheme, the Gam Udawa project with which he tried to stir up the stupor in the villages, the mobile secretariat whereby he took the central government bureaucracy to the peasants, the Tower Hall Foundation for drama and music, and the pension schemes he initiated for the elder artistes. On the economic front, the garment industry project that he initiated became a forerunner in earning foreign exchange and provision of employment in the villages. This was just one step in the direction of taking the economy to the outstations.

[edit] Presidency

Premadasa met with less success in dealing with Sri Lanka's civil war. When he assumed office, he faced a rebellion in the south from the hardline Sinhala-nationalist, Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. The security forces brutally put down the revolt and killed many of its leaders. In the north, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were facing off against the Indian Peace-Keeping Force. The Indian presence on the island was unpopular, and Premadasa requested India to leave. After they did in 1990, the government's war with the LTTE resumed, and resulted in stalemate.

Premadasa's supporters often point to the unostentatious life led by him in his simple residence away from his luxurious official residence, a man who perhaps travelled the least of any politicians at the helm. During his presidency, he also expelled from the UNP his two formidable Govigamacaste rivals Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake, who then joined to form the Democratic United National Liberation Front (DUNLF).

[edit] Death

Ranasinghe Premadasa was killed on 1 May 1993, during a May day rally, by an LTTE suicide bomber. [2] [2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ {{cite web|url=http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-08-20T005526Z_01_SP266487_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SRILANKA-SUICIDE.xml|title=Suicide bombers - weapon of choice for Sri Lanka rebels|author =Jonathan Lyons|date=August 20, 2006|publisher = Reuters}}
  2. ^ {{cite web|url=http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-08-20T005526Z_01_SP266487_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SRILANKA-SUICIDE.xml|title= Suicide bombers - weapon of choice for Sri Lanka rebels | author =Jonathan Lyons | date=August 20, 2006 | publisher = Reuters}}

[edit] External links

Government offices
Preceded by
Junius Richard Jayawardene		 President of Sri Lanka
1989–1993		 Succeeded by
Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
Preceded by
Junius Richard Jayawardene		 Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
1978–1989		 Succeeded by
Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
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