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List of presidents of Sri Lanka
None
None
| Top left: William Gopallawa was the first and only non-executive president of Sri Lanka. | Top right: J. R. Jayewardene was the first executive president of Sri Lanka. | Bottom left: Chandrika Kumaratunga was the first female president and also the longest serving president of Sri Lanka. | Bottom right: Anura Kumara Dissanayake is the current president of Sri Lanka.}} The president of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the chief executive of Sri Lanka. The president is a dominant political figure in the country. The office was created in 1972, as more of a ceremonial position. It was empowered with executive powers by the 1978 Constitution introduced by J. R. Jayewardene.
Presidents
;Parties (1) (4) (3) (1) (1)
| No. | Portrait | Name | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Birth–Death) | |||||||||
| Home province | Term of office | ||||||||
| Electoral mandates | |||||||||
| Time in office | Other ministerial offices | ||||||||
| held while president | Party | ||||||||
| (Alliance) | Government | Ref. | Non-Executive President (1972–1978) | Executive President of Sri Lanka (1978–present) | |||||
| Independent politician}}" | 1 | [[File:JFKWHP-AR6771-B (cropped).jpg | 80px]] | [[File:President Gopallawa's flag.gif | 60px]] | ||||
| William Gopallawa | |||||||||
| විලියම් ගොපල්ලව | |||||||||
| வில்லியம் கோபள்ளவா | |||||||||
| (1896–1981) | |||||||||
| Central | 22 May | ||||||||
| 1972 | 4 February | ||||||||
| 1978 | Independent | Sirimavo Bandaranaike II | 10th | ||||||
| — | |||||||||
| Served as the last Governor-General of Ceylon and the first non-executive president when Ceylon declared itself a republic in 1972 and changed its name to Sri Lanka. | |||||||||
| United National Party}}" | 2 | [[File:J. R. Jayawardene, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on June 20, 1984.jpg | 80px]] | [[File:Junius Jayawardene's flag.gif | 60px]] | ||||
| Junius Richard Jayewardene | |||||||||
| ජුනියස් රිචඩ් ජයවර්ධන | |||||||||
| ஜூனியஸ் ரிச்சட் ஜயவர்தனா | |||||||||
| (1906–1996) | |||||||||
| Western | 4 February | ||||||||
| 1978 | 2 January | ||||||||
| 1989 | Minister of Defence | ||||||||
| Minister of Planning & Economic Affairs | |||||||||
| Minister of Plan Implementation | |||||||||
| Minister of Higher Education | United National Party | Jayewardene | 11th | ||||||
| 12th | |||||||||
| 1982 | |||||||||
| Introduced the executive presidency in 1978, and assumed the position of president of Sri Lanka. | |||||||||
| United National Party}}" | 3 | [[File:Ranasinghe Premadasa.jpeg | 80px]] | [[File:Ranasinghe Premadasa's flag .gif | 60px]] | ||||
| Sri Lankabhimanya | |||||||||
| Ranasinghe Premadasa | |||||||||
| රණසිංහ ප්රේමදාස | |||||||||
| ரணசிங்க பிரேமதாசா | |||||||||
| (1924–1993) | |||||||||
| Western | 2 January | ||||||||
| 1989 | 1 May | ||||||||
| 1993† | Minister of Defence | ||||||||
| Minister of Buddha Sasana | |||||||||
| Minister of Policy Planning & Implementation | United National Party | Premadasa | 13th | ||||||
| 1988 | |||||||||
| Assassinated during a May Day rally by an LTTE suicide bomber. | |||||||||
| United National Party}}" | 4 | [[File:DBWijethunge_President_Standard_.jpg | 60px]] | ||||||
| Sri Lankabhimanya | |||||||||
| Dingiri Banda Wijetunga | |||||||||
| ඩිංගිරි බණ්ඩා විජේතුංග | |||||||||
| டிங்கிரி பண்ட விஜேதுங்க | |||||||||
| (1916–2008) | |||||||||
| Central | 1 May | ||||||||
| 1993 | 7 May | ||||||||
| 1993 | Minister of Defence | ||||||||
| Minister of Finance | |||||||||
| Minister of Buddhist Affairs | United National Party | Wijetunga I | 13th | ||||||
| 7 May | |||||||||
| 1993 | 12 November | ||||||||
| 1994 | |||||||||
| 1993 | Wijetunga II | 14th | |||||||
| Appointed as acting president following Premadasa's assassination. On 7 May 1993 he was elected by Parliament to the office of president under Article 40 of the Constitution. | |||||||||
| Sri Lanka Freedom Party}}" | 5 | [[File:Chandrika Kumaratunga with PM Modi (cropped).jpg | 80px]] | [[File:Presidential Flag of Chandrika Kumaratunga.gif | 60px]] | ||||
| Chandrika Kumaratunga | |||||||||
| චන්ද්රිකා කුමාරතුංග | |||||||||
| சந்திரிகா பண்டாரநாயக்கே குமாரதுங்கா | |||||||||
| (born 1945) | |||||||||
| Western | 12 November | ||||||||
| 1994 | 19 November | ||||||||
| 2005 | Minister of Defence (1999–2005) | ||||||||
| Minister of Education | |||||||||
| Disaster rehabilitation leader (2004 tsunami) | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | ||||||||
| (PA) | Kumaratunga | 14th | |||||||
| 15th | |||||||||
| 1994, 1999 | 16th | ||||||||
| 17th | |||||||||
| The first non-UNP president of the country. Victim of multiple assassination attempts by the LTTE, all of which were unsuccessful. | |||||||||
| Sri Lanka Freedom Party}}" | 6 | [[File:The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi with the Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa, at Hyderabad House, in New Delhi on February 08, 2020 (cropped).jpg | 80px]] | [[File:Presidential Flag of Mahinda Rajapaksa.gif | 60px]] | ||||
| Mahinda Rajapaksa | |||||||||
| මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ | |||||||||
| மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ | |||||||||
| (born 1945) | |||||||||
| Southern | 19 November | ||||||||
| 2005 | 9 January | ||||||||
| 2015 | Minister of Defence | ||||||||
| Minister of Finance | |||||||||
| Minister of Law & Order | |||||||||
| Minister of Highways, Ports & Shipping | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | ||||||||
| (UPFA) | Mahinda Rajapaksa | 17th | |||||||
| 18th | |||||||||
| 2005, 2010 | |||||||||
| Ended the Sri Lankan civil war with the LTTE. 18th Amendment to the Constitution was instated during his term. Failed to win reelection in 2015. | |||||||||
| Sri Lanka Freedom Party}}" | 7 | [[File:Maithripala- Russia (portrait).jpg | 80px]] | [[File:Presidential Standard of Sri Lanka (Maithripala Sirisena).svg | 60px]] | ||||
| Maithripala Sirisena | |||||||||
| මෛත්රීපාල සිරිසේන | |||||||||
| மைத்திரிபால சிறிசேன | |||||||||
| (born 1951) | |||||||||
| North Central | 9 January | ||||||||
| 2015 | 18 November | ||||||||
| 2019 | Minister of Defence | ||||||||
| Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Sirisena I | 18th | ||||||
| 2015 | Sirisena II | 19th | |||||||
| Sirisena IV | |||||||||
| Defeated Rajapaksa in his unsuccessful bid for a third term. Ran as a candidate of the New Democratic Front with the backing of the UNP. 19th Amendment to the Constitution was instated during his term. | |||||||||
| Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna}}" | 8 | [[File:Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa.jpg | 80px]] | [[File:Presidential Standard of Sri Lanka (Gotabaya Rajapaksa).gif | 60px]] | ||||
| Gotabaya Rajapaksa | |||||||||
| ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ | |||||||||
| கோட்டாபய ராஜபக்ஷ | |||||||||
| (born 1949) | |||||||||
| Southern | 18 November | ||||||||
| 2019 | 14 July | ||||||||
| 2022 | Minister of Defence | ||||||||
| Minister of Technology | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna | ||||||||
| (SLPFA) | Rajapaksa I | 19th | |||||||
| 2019 | Rajapaksa II | 20th | |||||||
| Rajapaksa III | |||||||||
| Rajapaksa IV | |||||||||
| Appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister. 20th Amendment to the Constitution was instated during his term. Economic mismanagement led the country to an economic crisis, and a subsequent political crisis when he refused to resign in response to massive anti-government protests. Appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister in May 2022, following Mahinda Rajapaksa's resignation. Resigned on 14 July, after fleeing the country the day before, designating Wickremesinghe as acting president. | |||||||||
| United National Party}}" | 9 | [[File:President Dr Muizzu meets Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe (cropped).jpg | 80px]] | Ranil Wickremesinghe | |||||
| රනිල් වික්රමසිංහ | |||||||||
| ரணில் விக்ரமசிங்க | |||||||||
| (born 1949) | |||||||||
| Western | 14 July | ||||||||
| 2022 | 20 July | ||||||||
| 2022 | Minister of Defence | ||||||||
| Minister of Technology | |||||||||
| Minister of Finance | |||||||||
| Minister of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment | United National Party | Wickremesinghe | 20th | ||||||
| 20 July | |||||||||
| 2022 | 23 September | ||||||||
| 2024 | |||||||||
| 2022 | |||||||||
| Appointed as acting president following Rajapaksa's resignation. On 20 July 2022 he was elected by Parliament to the office of president under Article 40 of the Constitution. Failed to win reelection in 2024. | |||||||||
| National People's Power}}" | 10 | [[File:Anura Kumara Dissanayake in 2025.jpg | 80px]] | Anura Kumara Dissanayake | |||||
| අනුර කුමාර දිසානායක | |||||||||
| அநுர குமார திசாநாயக்க | |||||||||
| (born 1968) | |||||||||
| Western | 23 September | ||||||||
| 2024 | Incumbent | Minister of Defence | |||||||
| Minister of Finance | Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna | ||||||||
| (NPP) | Dissanayake I | 20th | |||||||
| 2024 | Dissanayake II | 21st | |||||||
| Defeated Sajith Premadasa and Ranil Wickremesinghe in a three-way contest. |
Timeline
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Colors = id:ind value:gray(0.8) legend: Independent id:unp value:rgb(0.0275,0.6863,0.0784) legend: United_National_Party id:slfp value:rgb(0.0510,0.2314,0.5647) legend: Sri_Lanka_Freedom_Party id:slpp value:rgb(0.5294,0.0902,0.1020) legend: Sri_Lanka_Podujana_Peramuna id:npp value:rgb(0.7686,0.0352,0.2902) legend: National_People's_Power
id:liteline value:gray(0.8) id:line value:rgb(0.3,0.3,0.3) id:bg value:white
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1970 till:31/12/ TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1970 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1970
Legend = columns:1 left:110 top:57 columnwidth:220
Define $today =
TextData = pos:(20,57) textcolor:black fontsize:s text:"Political Affiliation:"
BarData = bar:Gopallawa bar:Jayewardene bar:Premadasa bar:Wijetunga bar:Kumaratunga bar:MRajapaksa bar:Sirisena bar:GRajapaksa bar:Wickremesinghe bar:Dissanayake
PlotData= width:5 align:left fontsize:s shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
bar:Gopallawa from: 22/05/1972 till: 04/02/1978 color:ind text:"William Gopallawa" bar:Jayewardene from: 04/02/1978 till: 02/01/1989 color:unp text:"Junius Richard Jayewardene" bar:Premadasa from: 02/01/1989 till :01/05/1993 color:unp text:"Ranasinghe Premadasa" bar:Wijetunga from: 02/05/1993 till: 12/11/1994 color:unp text:"Dingiri Banda Wijetunga" bar:Kumaratunga from: 12/11/1994 till: 19/11/2005 color:slfp text:"Chandrika Kumaratunga" bar:MRajapaksa from: 19/11/2005 till: 09/01/2015 color:slfp text:"Mahinda Rajapaksa" bar:Sirisena from: 09/01/2015 till: 18/11/2019 color:slfp text:"Maithripala Sirisena" bar:GRajapaksa from: 18/11/2019 till: 14/07/2022 color:slpp text:"Gotabaya Rajapaksa" bar:Wickremesinghe from: 14/07/2022 till: 23/09/2024 color:unp text:"Ranil Wickremesinghe" bar:Dissanayake from: 23/09/2024 till: $today color:npp text:"Anura Kumara Dissanayake"
Notes
References
References
- "Democracy, Development and the Executive Presidency in Sri Lanka". London School of Economics.
- "The Executive Presidency: A Left Perspective".
- "Towards an Open Economy (1977-2005)". Ministry of Finance Sri Lanka.
- "Heads of State". Parliament of Sri Lanka.
- (1 November 1996). "Former Sri Lanka president dies, leaves mixed legacy". CNN.
- "J.R. Jayewardene Biography". Britannica.
- "Ranasinghe Premadasa Biography". Britannica.
- "Dingiri Banda Wijetunga Biography". Parliament of Sri Lanka.
- "Colombo (dpa) - Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga Wednesday launched the government's rebuilding programme following the tsunami disasters which devastated two-thirds of the coastal belt and left an estimated 40,000 dead.". United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
- "Chandrika Kumaratunga Biography". Britannica.
- "Education Policy 1994-2005".
- "Disaster management effort". News First.
- "Mahinda Rajapaksa Biography".
- "Maithripala Sirisena Biography".
- "Presidential candidates cast their votes".
- (13 July 2022). "Thousands protest against Sri Lanka's new acting president". [[Associated Press]].
- (14 July 2022). "Speaker yet to receive GRs resignation". [[News First]].
- (14 July 2022). "Sri Lanka awaits president's resignation after flight". [[Reuters]].
- (14 July 2022). "Sri Lanka Crisis LIVE Updates: Gotabaya Rajapaksa steps down as president, emails resignation letter to parliament speaker".
- (14 July 2022). "Sri Lanka's President Resigns After Months of Protest".
- "Sri Lanka PM Wickremesinghe sworn in as acting president - govt official".
- "Anura Kumara Dissanayake Biography".
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