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Wickremesinghe by Prime Minister’s Office from

Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Ranil Wickremasinghe

Ranil Wickremesinghe, a politician from Sri Lanka born on March 24, 1949, is the country’s president as of July 21, 2022. He is Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister as well. Since 1994, he has served as the United National Party’s chairman. From 1993 to 1994, 2001 to 2004, 2015 to 2018, 2018 to 2019, and 2022, he led six different governments while serving as Sri Lanka’s prime minister for five successive terms. He also held the role of Leader of the Opposition from 1994 to 2001 and again from 2004 to 2015.

Here are outstanding facts you probably don’t know about him.

1. He’s a lawyer by profession

Royal College Colombo by Nitraven from

At the Royal Preparatory School, where he received his education, Wickremesinghe was classmates and friends with Dinesh Gunawardena, the son of socialist politician Philip Gunawardena, and Anura Bandaranaike, the son of the then-prime minister Solomon Bandaranaike.

When the University of Ceylon’s Colombo Campus—now the University of Colombo—opened, Wickremasinghe enrolled in the faculty of law. He apprenticed under H. W. Jayewardene, QC, and after graduating from Ceylon Law College, passed the bar test and took his oaths as an advocate in 1972. Following the changes to the legal industry in 1973, he was admitted to the bar.  In recognition of his significant reform accomplishments, Wickramasinghe was awarded an honorary doctorate by Deakin University in Australia on February 14.

2. He’s played many different roles in parliament 

Joining the United National Party (UNP), Wickremesinghe rose through the organization’s ranks. Midway through the 1970s, he was chosen to serve as the head organiser of the Kelaniya Electorate.

Subsequently, he was chosen to serve as the chief organiser of the Biyagama Electorate, which he won in the 1977 legislative elections and was elected to the House of Representatives. When J. R. Jayewardene’s new administration selected him as deputy minister of foreign affairs, he was quickly moved to the minister of youth affairs and employment, becoming Sri Lanka’s youngest cabinet minister in the process.

The National Youth Services Council (NYSCO), which offers vocational and career training to school dropouts, was established during his tenure as minister, as was the Sri Lanka National Guard. Later, on February 14, 1980, Wickremesinghe became the Minister of Education.

3. He was praised for pushing the economy 

Following the assassination of President Ranasinghe Premadasa by the Tamil Tigers and the inauguration of Prime Minister D. B. Wijetunga as president on May 7, 1993, Wickremesinghe took office as prime minister.

He was credited with leading the nation through an amazing economic change throughout his reign and enjoyed broad support from the business community.

 4. Wickremesinghe was nominated as UNP’s presidential candidate

Prime Minister by Prime Minister’s Office from

Wickremesinghe received the UNP’s nomination for president in the 1999 election. President Kumaratunga lost her right eye in a suicide bombing by the Tamil Tigers during an election campaign rally after a tense election campaign in the wake of the violent North Western Provincial Council election.

Two days later, on December 21, 1999, voting took place amid a tide of sympathy, and Kumaratunga was re-elected with 51% of the vote to continue serving as Executive President.  Wickremasinghe unsuccessfully led his party in the 2000 parliamentary elections, losing to the PA once more, following this electoral defeat.

5. Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the acting president during an emergency

Gotabaya Rajapaksa by Mr Jorge Cardoso from

Wickremesinghe took over as president in an acting capacity due to his position as prime minister and declared a state of emergency in Sri Lanka when President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country on July 13. On July 15, after Rajapaksa’s formal resignation, Wickremesinghe was sworn in before Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya as the interim president of Sri Lanka.

6. Wickremesinghe forbade the use of “His Excellency” for the president

Having previously served as a National List MP for a party with only one seat in the House of Representatives, Wickremesinghe simultaneously assumed the offices of President, Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, Minister of Technology, and Minister of Finance. Wickremesinghe forbade the use of “His Excellency” as the president’s honorific prefix and formally ended the use of a presidential flag after taking office as acting president.

7. Wickremesinghe was accused of being the political authority behind an illegal detention centre 

Chandrika Kumaratunga by Prime Minister’s Office from

Wickremesinghe was called to appear before the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry on September 3, 1997, as part of the People’s Alliance administration of President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s investigation of Batalanda’s actions. The panel, which served as a fact-finding body without any judicial authority, nevertheless advised the government to “bring the guilty to book.”

Its conclusion that “Wickremesinghe and the SSP Nalin Delgoda are indirectly accountable for the maintenance of places of unlawful confinement and torture chambers in homes at the Batalanda Housing Scheme” was one of its conclusions.

Wickremesinghe had “unauthorised meetings of police officers involved in counter-insurgency operations at the housing complex,” according to the document, and had thus “abused his authority.” Since then, no criminal investigations were conducted.

8. His wife is a Professor of English

In 1994, Wickremasinghe wed Maithree Wickremesinghe, an academic and professor of English from Sri Lanka. In an effort to keep his personal life out of politics, Wickremasinghe has taken a number of steps.

Rarely is his private life discussed or made public. Prior to his 2015 re-election as prime minister, Maithree Wickremasinghe stayed out of the political spotlight.

9. Reuters described Wickremesinghe as an “economic liberal 

According to Reuters, Wickremesinghe is an “economic liberal with knowledge of working with the International Monetary Fund.”  

In order to guide the nation through the worst economic crisis in its history while having less than $1 million in foreign reserves and being unable to import basic supplies like fuel, food, and medicine, Wickremesinghe has declared that he plans to form a national government with the support of all political parties in the parliament. He has described the upcoming months as being the most challenging in the history of the nation.

10. Protestors burned his residence

The appointment of Wickremesinghe as Minister of Finance, Economic Stability, and National Policies took place on May 25. In response to demonstrators breaking into and torching his home on July 9, the Prime Minister’s office declared that Wickremesinghe was prepared to step down to make room for an all-party cabinet. Later that evening, demonstrators invaded and set fire to Wickremesinghe’s Colombo home at 115 Fifth Lane.

Many of Wickremesinghe’s close relatives held positions of responsibility in the administration. His aunt Amari Wijewardene served as the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom, while his cousins Ruwan Wijewardene and Wasantha Senanayake were the State Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs, respectively.