Prime Minister of Sri Lanka

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The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is the functional head of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka.

Over view

The post of Prime Minister of Ceylon was created in 1948 when the Dominion of Ceylon was formed with independence from Britain.In 1972 when Sri Lanka became a republic the name of the post changed to Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. With a Westminster-based political system establish the Prime Minister was the head of government therefore the most powerful political office of the country at the time. This changed in 1978, with constitutional change, when the Executive Presidency was created making the President both head of state and head of government. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President as head of the cabinet of ministers. In the event the president dies in office the Prime Minister becomes the acting president until Parliament convenes to elect a successor or new elections could be held to elect a new president. This was the case with H.E. President Dingiri Banda Wijetunge.

The current Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, who was appointed by H.E. the President Mahinda Rajapaksa on November 21, 2005.

List of Sri Lankan Prime Ministers

The following is a list of Sri Lankan Prime Ministers:

Prime Ministers of Ceylon (1948 - 1972)

Don Stephen Senanayake (October 14, 1947 - March 22, 1952)
Dudley Shelton Senanayake (March 26, 1952 - October 12, 1953)
John Lionel Kotalawela (October 12, 1953 - April 12, 1956)
Solomon Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (April 12, 1956 - September 26 1959)
Wijeyananda Dahanayake (September 26 1959 - March 21, 1960)
Dudley Shelton Senanayake (March 21, 1960 - July 21, 1960)
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike (July 21, 1960 - March 27, 1965)
Dudley Shelton Senanayake (March 27, 1965 - May 29, 1970)
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike (May 29, 1970 - March 22, 1972)

Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka (1972 - present)

Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike (March 22, 1972 - July 23, 1977)
Junius Richard Jayewardene (July 23, 1977 - February 6, 1978 )
Ranasinghe Premadasa (February 6, 1978 - March 3, 1989)
Dingiri Banda Wijetunge (March 3, 1989 - May 7, 1993)
Ranil Wickremesinghe (May 7, 1993 - August 19, 1994)
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (August 19, 1994 - November 14, 1994)
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike (November 14, 1994 - August 10, 2000)
Ratnasiri Wickremanayake (August 10, 2000 - December 9, 2001)
Ranil Wickremesinghe (December 9, 2001 - April 6, 2004)
Mahinda Rajapaksa (April 6, 2004 - November 21, 2005)
Ratnasiri Wickremanayake (November 21 2005 - Present)

Other information

The official residence of the prime minister is the Prime Minister's House most commonly referred to as Temple Trees. However the president's office is the Prime Minister's Office on Flower Road, Colombo.

References

Parliament of Sri Lanka - Handbook of Parliament, Prime Ministers

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