Ranil Wickremesinghe
Ranil Wickremesinghe, MP (Sinhala: රනිල් වික්රමසිංහ, Tamil: ரணில் விக்ரமசிங்க; born 24 March 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician who was the 9th President of Sri Lanka from 2022 until 2024. He was the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 12 May 2022 until 20 July 2022.[3] He was Prime Minister before from 1993 to 1994, 2001 to 2004 and 2015 to 2019.
Ranil Wickremesinghe | |
---|---|
රනිල් වික්රමසිංහ ரணில் விக்கிரமசிங்க | |
9th President of Sri Lanka | |
In office 21 July 2022 – 23 September 2024 Acting: 13 July 2022 – 21 July 2022 | |
Prime Minister | Dinesh Gunawardena |
Preceded by | Gotabaya Rajapaksa[a] |
Succeeded by | Anura Kumara Dissanayake |
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka | |
In office 12 May 2022 – 20 July 2022 | |
President | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
Preceded by | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
Succeeded by | Dinesh Gunawardena |
In office 15 December 2018 – 21 November 2019 | |
President | Maithripala Sirisena Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
Preceded by | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
Succeeded by | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
In office 9 January 2015 – 26 October 2018 | |
President | Maithripala Sirisena |
Preceded by | D. M. Jayaratne |
Succeeded by | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
In office 9 December 2001 – 6 April 2004 | |
President | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
Preceded by | Ratnasiri Wickremanayake |
Succeeded by | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
In office 7 May 1993 – 18 August 1994 | |
President | Dingiri Banda Wijetunga |
Preceded by | Dingiri Banda Wijetunga |
Succeeded by | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
10th Leader of the Opposition | |
In office 22 April 2004 – 9 January 2015 | |
President | Chandrika Kumaratunga Mahinda Rajapaksa |
Prime Minister | Mahinda Rajapaksa Ratnasiri Wickremanayake D. M. Jayaratne |
Preceded by | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
Succeeded by | Nimal Siripala de Silva |
In office 28 October 1994 – 10 October 2001 | |
President | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
Prime Minister | Sirimavo Bandaranaike Ratnasiri Wickremanayake |
Preceded by | Gamini Dissanayake |
Succeeded by | Ratnasiri Wickremanayake |
Personal details | |
Born | Ranil Wickremesinghe 24 March 1949 Colombo, Dominion of Ceylon |
Nationality | Sri Lankan |
Political party | United National Party |
Spouse(s) | Maitree Wickremasinghe (m. 1994) |
Relations | |
Parents |
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Residence | 115 Fifth Lane |
Alma mater | University of Ceylon |
Profession | Attorney at law |
Website | Official website |
Other offices held
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Before, he was Prime Minister of Sri Lanka two times, from 7 May 1993 to 19 August 1994 and from 9 December 2001 to 6 April 2004. A member of the United National Party he was nominated as party leader in November 1994. He is also the leader of the United National Front having been nominated head of the organization in October 2009.
On 9 July 2022, Wickremesinghe announced he was ready to resign to make way for an all-party government as protesters stormed and burned his residence that day.[4][5] Later in the evening, protesters broke into the Wickremesinghe's private residence in Colombo and set it on fire.[6]
On 15 July 2022, Wickremesinghe was nominated as the United National Party's presidential nominee for the 2022 presidential election.[7] He was elected president on 20 July 2022 and was sworn-in the next day.[8]
Wickremesinghe lost his re-election in 2024, winning 17.2% of the vote.
Ranil Wickremesinghe Media
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka meets with Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz in The Pentagon on 3 November 2003. The leaders are meeting to discuss defence issues of mutual interest.
Opposition Leader Wickremasinghe meeting British Foreign Secretary William Hague, 2010
Prime Minister Wickremasinghe with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, 2015
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 2015
Wickremesinghe meets with Britain's King Charles III at a Reception held at the Buckingham Palace on 5 May 2023.
President Wickremesinghe meets with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during the latter's visit to Sri Lanka in April 2024.
References
- ↑ Marian, Teena (14 July 2022). "Speaker yet to receive GRs resignation". News First. https://www.newsfirst.lk/2022/07/14/speaker-yet-to-receive-grs-resignation/. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ↑ Jayasinghe, Uditha (14 July 2022). "Sri Lanka awaits president's resignation after flight". Reuters (Colombo). https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/sri-lanka-awaits-presidents-resignation-after-flight-2022-07-14/. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ↑ "RANIL SWORN IN AS PM - Top Story | Daily Mirror". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
- ↑ "Sri Lanka PM 'willing to resign' after President's House stormed". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- ↑ After Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe resigns, protesters set his house on fire. CBS News. 9 July 2022. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sri-lankans-storm-presidents-house-office-in-biggest-rally/. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
- ↑ "Sri Lankan crisis: Protesters set PM Ranil Wickremesinghe's residence on fire". Hindustan Times News. 2022-07-09. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- ↑ SLPP to support Ranil in parliamentary vote for president. Ada Derana. 15 July 2022. http://www.adaderana.lk/news/83670/slpp-to-support-ranil-in-parliamentary-vote-for-president. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- ↑ Sri Lanka live news: Ranil Wickremesinghe elected president. 20 July 2022. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2022/7/20/sri-lanka-live-news-parliamentarians-to-vote-for-new-president. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
Notes
- ↑ Previously known as the United National Front