List of Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka
Encyclopedia
There have been thirteen 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 Ministries of Defence and External Affairs until 1978.
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
, and the Prime Minister became a nominal position.
Under the current constitution of Sri Lanka
, the Prime Minister is the Head of the Cabinet
and 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 convenes to elect a successor or new elections could 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.
Of the thirteen Prime Ministers who have held office since the introduction of the position in 1947, two have held office thrice, and two have held office twice. Five Prime Ministers have gone on to become President of the country. The current Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is Disanayaka Mudiyanselage Jayaratne, since 21 April 2010.
Dominion of Ceylon
The Dominion of Ceylon, known today as Sri Lanka, was a dominion, in the British Empire between 1948 and 1972. In 1948, British Ceylon was granted independence as the Dominion of Ceylon. In 1972, the Dominion of Ceylon became a republic within the Commonwealth, and its name was changed to Sri Lanka...
. 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
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is the functional head of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. However, the President is both head of state and head of government in Sri Lanka...
from then onwards. The Prime Minister also held the Ministries of Defence and External Affairs until 1978.
In 1978, the then Prime Minister J.R. Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene , famously abbreviated in Sri Lanka as JR, was the first executive President of Sri Lanka, serving from 1978 till 1989. He was a leader of the nationalist movement in Ceylon who served in a variety of cabinet positions in the decades following independence...
introduced new constitutional changes. The position of the Executive President
President of Sri Lanka
The President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the head of government. The President is a dominant political figure in Sri Lanka. The office was created in 1978 but has grown so powerful there have been calls to restrict or even eliminate its power...
was introduced, resulting in the powers of the Prime Minister being reduced. The President became the head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
, and the Prime Minister became a nominal position.
Under the current constitution of Sri Lanka
Constitution of Sri Lanka
The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has been the constitution of the island nation of Sri Lanka since its original promulgation by the National State Assembly on 7 September 1978. It is Sri Lanka's second republican constitution, and its third constitution since the...
, the Prime Minister is the Head of the Cabinet
Cabinet of Sri Lanka
The Cabinet of Sri Lanka is the council of cabinet ministers , responsible to parliament. Cabinet ministers are appointed by the President under the advice of the Prime Minister and serve at his pleasure. Officially the prime minister is the head of the cabinet, but the cabinet is chaired by the...
and 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 convenes to elect a successor or new elections could be held to elect a new president. This was the case in 1993, when President Ranasinghe Premadasa
Ranasinghe Premadasa
Ranasinghe Premadasa 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...
was assassinated and Prime Minister Dingiri Banda Wijetunge took office as President.
Of the thirteen Prime Ministers who have held office since the introduction of the position in 1947, two have held office thrice, and two have held office twice. Five Prime Ministers have gone on to become President of the country. The current Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is Disanayaka Mudiyanselage Jayaratne, since 21 April 2010.
Prime Ministers of Ceylon (1947–1972)
| # | Name | Portrait | Entered office | Left Office | Parliament | 1 | Don Stephen Senanayake Don Stephen Senanayake Don Stephen Senanayake was an independence activist who served as the first Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1947 to 1952.-Early life:... (1884–1952) |
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24 September 1947 | 22 March 1952 | First Parliament1 | United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
D. S. Senanayake was the first Prime Minister of Ceylon. The country gained independence from Great Britain Great Britain Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles... during his term of office. |
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| 2 | Dudley Shelton Senanayake Dudley Senanayake Dudley Shelton Senanayake was a Ceylonese politician, who became the second Prime Minister of Ceylon and went on to become prime minister on 2 more times during the 1950s and 1960s.-Early life:Dudley was born on 19 June, 1911 as the eldest son to Molly Dunuwila and Don Stephen Senanayake, who... (1911–1973) (1st term) |
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26 March 1952 | 12 October 1953 | First Parliament, Second Parliament |
United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Dudley Senanayake was 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. | ||||||||
| 3 | John Lionel Kotelawala John Kotelawala General Sir John Lionel Kotelawala, KBE, CH, KStJ, CLI was a Sri Lankan soldier and politician, most notable for serving as the 3rd Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1953 to 1956.... (1897–1980) |
12 October 1953 | 12 April 1956 | Second Parliament | United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Sri Lanka joined the United Nations United Nations The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace... under the leadership of Kotelawala. |
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| 4 | Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (1899–1959) |
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12 April 1956 | 26 September 1959 | Third Parliament | Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in... |
Bandaranaike changed the official language of the country from English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... to Sinhalese. He was assassinated before his term of office ended. |
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| 5 | Wijeyananda Dahanayake Wijeyananda Dahanayake Wijeyananda Dahanayake was a Sri Lankan political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1959 to 1960.-Early Life:... (1902–1997) |
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26 September 1959 | 20 March 1960 | Third Parliament | Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in... |
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. | ||||||||
| 6 | Dudley Shelton Senanayake Dudley Senanayake Dudley Shelton Senanayake was a Ceylonese politician, who became the second Prime Minister of Ceylon and went on to become prime minister on 2 more times during the 1950s and 1960s.-Early life:Dudley was born on 19 June, 1911 as the eldest son to Molly Dunuwila and Don Stephen Senanayake, who... (1911–1973) (2nd term) |
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21 March 1960 | 21 July 1960 | Fourth Parliament | United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Senanayake's government was defeated after one month. Senanayake continued to serve as Prime Minister until 21 July 1960. | ||||||||
| 7 | Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike Sirimavo Bandaranaike Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government... (1916–2000) (1st term) |
21 July 1960 | 25 March 1965 | Fifth Parliament | Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in... |
Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the world's first female prime minister. She was not a member of Parliament at the time of appointment, and was appointed to the Senate on 2 August 1960. | |||||||||
| 8 | Dudley Shelton Senanayake Dudley Senanayake Dudley Shelton Senanayake was a Ceylonese politician, who became the second Prime Minister of Ceylon and went on to become prime minister on 2 more times during the 1950s and 1960s.-Early life:Dudley was born on 19 June, 1911 as the eldest son to Molly Dunuwila and Don Stephen Senanayake, who... (1911–1973) (3rd term) |
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25 March 1965 | 29 May 1970 | Sixth Parliament | United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
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. | ||||||||
| 9 | Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike Sirimavo Bandaranaike Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government... (1916–2000) (2nd term) |
29 May 1970 | 22 May 1972 | Seventh Parliament | Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in... |
Sirimavo Bandaranaike declared the country a republic, and its name was changed from Ceylon to Sri Lanka. | |||||||||
Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka (1972–present)
| # | Name | Portrait | Entered office | Left Office | Parliament | 9 | Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike Sirimavo Bandaranaike Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government... (1916–2000) (2nd term) |
22 May 1972 | 23 July 1977 | First National State Assembly2 | Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in... |
Sirimavo Bandaranaike 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. | |||
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| 10 | Junius Richard Jayewardene Junius Richard Jayewardene Junius Richard Jayewardene , famously abbreviated in Sri Lanka as JR, was the first executive President of Sri Lanka, serving from 1978 till 1989. He was a leader of the nationalist movement in Ceylon who served in a variety of cabinet positions in the decades following independence... (1906–1996) |
23 July 1977 | 4 February 1978 | Second National State Assembly | United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Jayewardene introduced the Executive Presidency in 1978, and assumed the position of President of Sri Lanka. | |||||||||
| 11 | Ranasinghe Premadasa Ranasinghe Premadasa Ranasinghe Premadasa 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... (1924–1993) |
6 February 1978 | 2 January 1989 | Second National State Assembly, 1st Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka3 |
United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Premadasa was the first Prime Minister to be appointed after the constitutional changes of 1978, with powers of the position reduced significantly. | |||||||||
| 12 | Dingiri Banda Wijetunga Dingiri Banda Wijetunga Dingiri Banda Wijetunga was the President of Sri Lanka from May 1, 1993 to November 12, 1994, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from March 3, 1989 to May 7, 1993 and the Governor of North Western province, Sri Lanka from 1988 to 1989.-Early life:... (1916–2008) |
6 March 1989 | 7 May 1993 | 2nd Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Wijetunge was appointed in a surprise move by the then President, Ranasinghe Premadasa. Wijetunge himself reacted in surprise at the appointment. He resigned from the post on 28 March 1990, but was reappointed two days later, on 30 March 1990. | |||||||||
| 13 | Ranil Wickremasinghe Ranil Wickremasinghe Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe , MP, is a Sri Lankan politician and current Leader of the Opposition in the Sri Lankan parliament. He was Prime Minister of Sri Lanka twice, from May 7, 1993 to August 19, 1994 and from December 9, 2001 to April 6, 2004... (1949–) (1st term) |
7 May 1993 | 19 August 1994 | 2nd Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
Wickremesinghe was appointed as the Prime Minister when Wijetunge was appointed as the President of Sri Lanka, following the assassination of the former President, Ranasinghe Premadasa. | |||||||||
| 14 | Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga Chandrika Kumaratunga Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga born June 29, 1945) was the 4th Executive president of Sri Lanka, serving from November 12, 1994 to November 19, 2005. The daughter of two former Prime Ministers, she was also the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party until end of 2005... (1945–) |
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19 August 1994 | 12 November 1994 | 3rd Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in... |
Chandrika Kumaratunga 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. | ||||||||
| 15 | Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike Sirimavo Bandaranaike Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government... (1916–2000) (3rd term) |
14 November 1994 | 9 August 2000 | 3rd Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in... |
Sirimavo Bandaranaike was appointed as the Prime Minister when Chandrika Kumaratunga was appointed as the President of Sri Lanka. She resigned in 2000. | |||||||||
| 16 | Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Ratnasiri Wickremanayake MP is a Sri Lankan politician who was Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 2000 to 2001 and again from 2005 to 2010. He is currently a National List member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.... (1933–) (1st term) |
10 August 2000 | 7 December 2001 | 3rd Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in... |
Wickremanayake assumed the office of the Prime Minister following the resignation of Sirimavo Bandaranaike. | |||||||||
| 17 | Ranil Wickremasinghe Ranil Wickremasinghe Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe , MP, is a Sri Lankan politician and current Leader of the Opposition in the Sri Lankan parliament. He was Prime Minister of Sri Lanka twice, from May 7, 1993 to August 19, 1994 and from December 9, 2001 to April 6, 2004... (1949–) (2nd term) |
9 December 2001 | 2 April 2004 | 4th Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka, 5th Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka |
United National Party United National Party The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe... |
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 | Mahinda Rajapaksa Mahinda Rajapaksa Percy Mahendra "Mahinda" Rajapaksa ; ; born November 18, 1945) is the 6th and current President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970, and served as prime minister from April 6,... (1945–) |
6 April 2004 | 19 November 2005 | 6th Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in... , as part of United People's Freedom Alliance United People's Freedom Alliance The United People's Freedom Alliance is a political alliance in Sri Lanka. The current leader of the United People's Freedom Alliance is Mahinda Rajapaksa and Susil Premajayantha is the general secretary of UPFA.The alliance was formed by:... |
Rajapaksa was 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 | Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Ratnasiri Wickremanayake MP is a Sri Lankan politician who was Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 2000 to 2001 and again from 2005 to 2010. He is currently a National List member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.... (1933–) (2nd term) |
19 November 2005 | 21 April 2010 | 6th Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in... |
Wickremanayake was appointed as Prime Minister when Rajapaksa assumed the office of the President of Sri Lanka. | |||||||||
| 20 | Disanayaka Mudiyanselage Jayaratne D. M. Jayaratne Disanayaka Mudiyanselage Jayaratne MP is the 20th and current Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, and a veteran Sri Lankan politician. A founding member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Jayaratne was first elected to parliament in 1970. He was sworn in as Prime Minister on April 21, 2010.-Early life:D. M... (1931–) |
21 April 2010 | Incumbent | 7th Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka Freedom Party Sri Lanka Freedom Party The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. It was founded by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1951 and, since then, has been one of the two largest parties in the Sri Lankan political arena. It first came to power in 1956 and since then has been the predominant party in... |
Jayaratne was appointed as Prime Minister after the parliamentary election held in April 2010 was won by the incumbent Freedom Party. | |||||||||
See also
- President of Sri LankaPresident of Sri LankaThe President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the head of government. The President is a dominant political figure in Sri Lanka. The office was created in 1978 but has grown so powerful there have been calls to restrict or even eliminate its power...
- Prime Minister of Sri LankaPrime Minister of Sri LankaThe Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is the functional head of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. However, the President is both head of state and head of government in Sri Lanka...
- Prime Minister's OfficePrime Minister's Office (Sri Lanka)The Prime Minister's Office is a ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka. It provides the administrative and institutional framework for the exercise of the duties and responsibilities vested in the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka...