List of Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka

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There have been fourteen Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka since the creation of the position in 1947, prior to the formation of the Dominion of Ceylon. The Prime Minister of Ceylon was the head of the government until 1978. In 1972, the country was named as the Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka and the position was known as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from then onwards. The Prime Minister also held the unified Ministry of External Affairs and Defence until 1977, when J.R. Jayewardene's government adapted two separate ministries, forming the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 1978, the then Prime Minister J.R. Jayewardene introduced new constitutional changes. The position of the Executive President was introduced, resulting in the powers of the Prime Minister being reduced. The President became the head of state and head of government,^[1] and the Prime Minister became a nominal position.^[2]

Under the current constitution of Sri Lanka, the Prime Minister is the leader of the Cabinet business and also functions as a deputy to the President. In the event a president dies in office, the Prime Minister becomes the acting president until the Parliament convens to elect a successor or new elections can be held to elect a new president. This was the case in 1993, when President Ranasinghe Premadasa was assassinated and Prime Minister Dingiri Banda Wijetunge took office as President.^[3]

On 28 April 2015, the Parliament approved the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka which gives the power of the Government to the Prime Minister, while the President remains the head of state, head of the cabinet, and Commander-in-chief.^[4]

Of the fourteen Prime Ministers who have held office since the introduction of the position in 1947, three have held office thrice, and one have held office twice. Five Prime Ministers have gone on to become President of the country. The current Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is Ranil Wickremesinghe, since 9 January 2015.^[5]

List of Prime Ministers

Parties

      United National Party       Sri Lanka Freedom Party

№		Portrait	Name (Birth–Death) Constituency/Title	Term of office — Electoral mandates		Other ministerial offices held while Prime Minister	Political party of PM (Alliance)	Government		Refs
	1		DS Senanayake දොන් ස්ටීවන් සේනානායක டான் ஸ்டீபன் சேனாநாயக்க (1883–1952) Mirigama	24 September 1947	22 March 1952	Minister of External Affairs and Defence	United National Party	D. S. Senanayake	3rd	[6]
				1947
				The first Prime Minister of Ceylon. The country gained independence from Great Britain during his term of office.[7]
	2		Dudley Senanayake ඩඩ්ලි සේනානායක டட்லி சேனநாயக்கா (1911–1973) Dedigama	26 March 1952	12 October 1953	Minister of External Affairs and Defence Minister of Agriculture & Lands & Minister of Health & Local Government	United National Party	Dudley Senanayake I	3rd 4th	[6]
				1952
				Appointed as Prime Minister following the death of his father, D. S. Senanayake. His party won at the general elections held in June 1952, and he continued in the office without a re-appointment. Dudley Senanayake resigned in 1953.[8]
	3		Sir John Kotelawala ජෝන් කොතලාවල ஜோன் கொத்தலாவல CH, KBE, KStJ, CLI (1897–1980) Dodangaslanda	12 October 1953	12 April 1956	Minister of External Affairs and Defence & Minister of Minister of Transport & Works	United National Party	Kotelawala	4th	[6]
				—
				Sri Lanka joined the United Nations under the leadership of Kotelawala.[9]
	4		S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike සොලමන් බන්ඩාරනායක சாலமன் பண்டாரநாயக்கா (1899–1959) Attanagalla	12 April 1956	26 September 1959	Minister of External Affairs and Defence	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike	5th	[6]
				1956
				Bandaranaike changed the official language of the country from English to Sinhalese. He was assassinated before his term of office ended.[10]
	5		Wijeyananda Dahanayake විජයානන්ද දහනායක விஜயானந்த தகநாயக்கா (1902–1997) Galle	26 September 1959	20 March 1960	Minister of External Affairs and Defence	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Dahanayake	5th	[6]
				—
				Dahanayake was appointed following the assassination of Bandaranaike. However, following disagreements with the members of his government and party, he was forced to dissolve the parliament.[11]
	(2)		Dudley Senanayake ඩඩ්ලි සේනානායක டட்லி சேனநாயக்கா (1911–1973) Dedigama	21 March 1960	21 July 1960	Minister of External Affairs and Defence	United National Party	Dudley Senanayake II	6th	[6]
				March 1960
				Senanayake's government was defeated after one month. Senanayake continued to serve as Prime Minister until 21 July 1960.
	6		Sirimavo Bandaranayake සිරිමාවො රත්වත්තේ ඩයස් බණ්ඩාරනායක சிறிமா ரத்வத்தே டயஸ் பண்டாரநாயக்கே (1916–2000)	21 July 1960	25 March 1965	Minister of External Affairs and Defence	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Sirimavo Bandaranaike I	7th	[6]
				July 1960
				Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the world's first female prime minister.[12] She was not a member of Parliament at the time of appointment, and was appointed to the Senate on 2 August 1960.
	(2)		Dudley Senanayake ඩඩ්ලි සේනානායක டட்லி சேனநாயக்கா (1911–1973) Dedigama	25 March 1965	29 May 1970	Minister of External Affairs and Defence	United National Party	Dudley Senanayake III	8th	[6]
				1965
				Senanayake was elected Prime Minister for the third time, when his party formed a government with the help of six other parties, after an election which did not give a clear majority to any party. The agriculture sector was given high priority during his term of office.[13]
	(6)		Sirimavo Bandaranayake සිරිමාවො රත්වත්තේ ඩයස් බණ්ඩාරනායක சிறிமா ரத்வத்தே டயஸ் பண்டாரநாயக்கே (1916–2000) Attanagalla	29 May 1970	22 May 1972	Minister of External Affairs and Defence & Minister of Planning & Employment	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Sirimavo Bandaranaike II	9th	[6]
				22 May 1972	23 July 1977				10th
				1970
				Sirimavo Bandaranaike declared the country a republic, and its name was changed from Ceylon to Sri Lanka.[12] Nationalized many companies in the plantation sector and imposed restrictions on several imports. This led to the downfall of the country's economy, and she was defeated in the general elections of 1977, with allegations of corruption which later led to her expulsion from Parliament.[12]
	7		Junius Richard Jayewardene ජුනියස් රිචඩ් ජයවර්ධන ஜூனியஸ் ரிச்சட் ஜயவர்தனா (1906–1996) Colombo West	23 July 1977	4 February 1978	Minister of Defence Minister of Planning & Economic Affairs & Minister of Plan Implementation	United National Party	Jayewardene	11th	[6]
				1977
				Introduced the Executive Presidency in 1978, and assumed the position of President of Sri Lanka.[14]
	8		Ranasinghe Premadasa රණසිංහ ප්‍රේමදාස ரணசிங்க பிரேமதாசா (1924–1993) Colombo Central	6 February 1978	2 January 1989	Minister of Local Government, Housing & Construction	United National Party	Jayewardene	11th 12th	[6]
				—
				Was the first Prime Minister to be appointed after the constitutional changes of 1978, with powers of the position reduced significantly.[15]
	9		Dingiri Banda Wijetunga ඩිංගිරි බණ්ඩා විජේතුංග டிங்கிரி பண்ட விஜேதுங்க (1916–2008) Kandy	6 March 1989	7 May 1993	Minister of Finance & Minister of Labour & Vocational Training	United National Party	Premadasa	13th	[6]
				1989
				Was appointed in a surprise move by the then President, Ranasinghe Premadasa. Wijetunge himself reacted in surprise at the appointment.[3] He resigned from the post on 28 March 1990, but was reappointed two days later, on 30 March 1990.
	10		Ranil Wickremesinghe රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ ரணில் விக்ரமசிங்க (1949–) Gampaha	7 May 1993	19 August 1994		United National Party	Wijetunga	13th	[6]
				—
				Appointed as the Prime Minister[16] when Wijetunge was appointed as the President of Sri Lanka, following the assassination of the former President, Ranasinghe Premadasa.
	11		Chandrika Kumaratunga චන්ද්‍රිකා බණ්ඩාරනායක කුමාරතුංග சந்திரிகா பண்டாரநாயக்கே குமாரதுங்கா (1945–) Gampaha	19 August 1994	12 November 1994		Sri Lanka Freedom Party (People's Alliance)	Wijetunga	14th	[6]
				1994
				Served as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for a short period, before contesting in the presidential elections in 1994 and being elected as president.[17]
	(6)		Sirimavo Bandaranayake සිරිමාවො රත්වත්තේ ඩයස් බණ්ඩාරනායක சிறிமா ரத்வத்தே டயஸ் பண்டாரநாயக்கே (1916–2000) National List	14 November 1994	9 August 2000		Sri Lanka Freedom Party (People's Alliance)	Kumaratunga	14th	[6]
				—
				Sirimavo Bandaranaike was appointed as the Prime Minister when Chandrika Kumaratunga was appointed as the President of Sri Lanka. She resigned in 2000.[12]
	12		Ratnasiri Wickremanayake රත්නසිරි වික්‍රමනායක ரத்னசிறி விக்கிரமநாயக்க (1933–) Kalutara	10 August 2000	7 December 2001		Sri Lanka Freedom Party (People's Alliance)	Kumaratunga	14th 15th	[6]
				2000
				Wickremanayake assumed the office of the Prime Minister following the resignation of Sirimavo Bandaranaike.[2]
	(10)		Ranil Wickremesinghe රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ ரணில் விக்ரமசிங்க (1949–) Colombo	9 December 2001	6 April 2004		United National Party	Kumaratunga	16th	[6]
				2001
				Wickremesinghe's term of office ended early when the then president Chandrika Kumaratunga dismissed his government and called for a general election in 2004.[18]
	13		Mahinda Rajapaksa මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ மகிந்த ராசபக்ச (1945–) Hambantota	6 April 2004	19 November 2005	Ministry of Highways	Sri Lanka Freedom Party (United People's Freedom Alliance)	Kumaratunga	17th	[6]
				2004
				Appointed as Prime Minister of the Cabinet that was formed after the elections following the dismissal of Wickremesinghe's government by President Chandrika Kumaratunga. He won the presidential elections in 2005 and assumed the office of the President of Sri Lanka.[19]
	(12)		Ratnasiri Wickremanayake රත්නසිරි වික්‍රමනායක ரத்னசிறி விக்கிரமநாயக்க (1933–) National List	19 November 2005	21 April 2010		Sri Lanka Freedom Party (United People's Freedom Alliance)	Rajapaksa	17th	[6]
				—
				Appointed as Prime Minister when Rajapaksa assumed the office of the President of Sri Lanka.[2]
	14		D. M. Jayaratne දිසානායක මුදියන්සේලාගේ ජයරත්න திசாநாயக்க முதியன்சேலாகே ஜயரத்ன (1931-) National List	21 April 2010	9 January 2015	Minister of Buddhasasana & Religious Affairs	Sri Lanka Freedom Party (United People's Freedom Alliance)	Rajapaksa	18th	[6]
				2010
				Appointed as Prime Minister after the parliamentary election held in April 2010 was won by the incumbent Freedom Party.
	(10)		Ranil Wickremesinghe රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ ரணில் விக்ரமசிங்க (1949–) Colombo	9 January 2015	Incumbent	Minister of Policy Planning and Economic Development	United National Party	Sirisena	18th	[6]
				2015					19th
				Appointed as Prime Minister by President Maithripala Sirisena after winning 2015 presidential election and was elected again after the 2015 parliamentary election.

Living former Prime Ministers

The most recent death of a former Prime Minister was that of Dingiri Banda Wijetunga (1989–1993) on 21 September 2008, aged 92.

Timeline

See also

• Prime Minister's Office

Notes

1. The Parliament was known as the "House of Representatives" during the period of 1947–1972
2. In 1972, the country was named "Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka", and the Parliament was named as the National State Assembly.
3. Under the constitutional changes of 1978, the country was renamed as the "Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka", and the Parliament was referred to as "Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka".

References

General

Specific

Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka Don Stephen Senanayake Dudley Senanayake John Kotelawala S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Wijeyananda Dahanayake Dudley Senanayake Sirimavo Bandaranaike Dudley Senanayake Sirimavo Bandaranaike Junius Richard Jayewardene Ranasinghe Premadasa Dingiri Banda Wijetunga Ranil Wickremesinghe Chandrika Kumaratunga Sirimavo Bandaranaike Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Ranil Wickremesinghe Mahinda Rajapaksa Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Disanayaka Jayaratne Ranil Wickremesinghe