Sri Lanka Prime Ministers List: The position of Prime Minister in Sri Lanka was established in 1947, shortly before Ceylon, the island's former name, gained independence as the Dominion of Ceylon. The dominion status was preserved for 24 years, until May 22, 1972, when it transitioned into a republic and was renamed the Republic of Sri Lanka.
The Prime Minister is responsible for leading the Cabinet and serves as the deputy to the President. In the unfortunate event of a President passing away in office, the Prime Minister assumes the role of acting President until the Parliament elects a successor or new elections can be organized to select a new President. A notable incident occurred in 1993 when President Ranasinghe Premadasa was assassinated, resulting in PM Dingiri Banda Wijetunga taking on the duties of President. Below is the complete list of Sri Lanka's Prime Ministers along with their tenures.
Sri Lanka Prime Ministers List
| Name | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Don Stephen Senanayake | September 24, 1947 to March 22, 1952 |
| Dudley Senanayake | March 26, 1952 to October 12, 1953 |
| Sir John Kotelawala | October 12, 1953 to April 12, 1956 |
| Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike | April 12, 1956 to September 26, 1959 |
| Wijeyananda Dahanayake | September 26, 1959 to March 20, 1960 |
| Dudley Senanayake | March 21, 1960 to July 21, 1960 |
| Sirimavo Bandaranaike | July 21, 1960 to March 25, 1965 |
| Dudley Senanayake | March 25, 1965 to May 29, 1970 |
| Sirimavo Bandaranaike | May 29, 1970 to July 23, 1977 |
| Junius Richard Jayewardene | July 23, 1977 to February 4, 1978 |
| Ranasinghe Premadasa | February 6, 1978 to January 2, 1989 |
| Dingiri Banda Wijetunga | March 6, 1989 to May 7, 1993 |
| Ranil Wickremesinghe | May 7, 1993 to August 19, 1994 |
| Chandrika Kumaratunga | August 19, 1994 to November 12, 1994 |
| Sirimavo Bandaranaike | November 14, 1994 to August 9, 2000 |
| Ratnasiri Wickremanayake | August 10, 2000 to December 7, 2001 |
| Ranil Wickremesinghe | December 9, 2001 to April 6, 2004 |
| Mahinda Rajapaksa | April 6, 2004 to November 19, 2005 |
| Ratnasiri Wickremanayake | November 19, 2005 to April 21, 2010 |
| D M Jayaratne | April 21, 2010 to January 9, 2015 |
| Ranil Wickremesinghe | January 9, 2015 to October 26, 2018 |
| Mahinda Rajapaksa | October 26, 2018 to December 15, 2018 |
| Ranil Wickremesinghe | December 16, 2018 to November 21, 2019 |
| Mahinda Rajapaksa | November 21, 2019 to May 9, 2022 |
Living Former Prime Ministers List
| Prime Minister | Term of Office | Date of Birth |
|---|---|---|
| Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga | 1994 | 29/06/1945 |
| Mahinda Rajapaksa | 2004 - 2005, 2018, 2019-2022 | 18/11/1945 |
Sri Lanka Cabinet Ministers List
For detailed information on the Sri Lanka Prime Ministers and the list of Cabinet Ministers, please visit Cabinet Office - Sri Lanka.
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