The Faces of Sri Lanka's Leadership: A Guide to the Country's Presidents

Earlier than the arrival of eu colonizers, Sri Lanka became dominated by a variety of kingdoms and empires, with the maximum power being the dominion of Kandy. In the early sixteenth century, the Portuguese mounted a colony on the island and managed it for almost hundred and fifty years. The dutch then took manipulate of the island in the seventeenth century, and the British took manipulate in 1815 after the Kandyan wars

Throughout the colonial period, the British government controlled the county's political and economic structures, and there has been little opportunity for Sri Lankans to participate in political choice-making. In 1948, Sri Lanka gained independence and became a republic in 1972, with a presidential system of government, and seeing that then, Sri Lanka had a democratic device of the presidency.

In the post-independence period, Sri Lanka's political landscape has been dominated by two main parties: the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). The UNP has traditionally represented the country's Sinhalese majority, while the SLFP has represented the minority Tamils and Muslims.

Sri Lanka's politics has been marked by periods of political turmoil and civil war, which lasted for more than 25 years between 1983 and 2009, between the government and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). The war ended with the defeat of the LTTE and the government's victory.

Introduction to Sri Lankan Presidents

The President is the ultimate of the Sri Lanka nation. The President is elected by election and serves as both the chief executive and the commander-in-chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. The President holds power for a term of six years and is eligible for re-election for a non-consecutive term.

The President is responsible for appointing the Prime Minister and other cabinet members and judges and other public officials. The President also has the power to veto legislation passed by Parliament and to dissolve Parliament under certain circumstances. The President plays a key role in shaping the political and economic direction of the country and is often seen as a symbol of national unity.

List of Sri Lankan Presidents

J. R. Jayewardene (1978-1989)

Ranasinghe Premadasa (1989-1993)

Dingiri Banda Wijetunga (1993-1994)

Chandrika Kumaratunga (1994-2005)

Mahinda Rajapaksa (2005-2015)

Maithripala Sirisena (2015-2019)

Gotabaya Rajapaksa (2019- 2022)

Ranil Wickremesinghe (2022- present)

This is the list of presidents who served after 1978, Sri Lanka had its first executive presidency in 1978. Before that, the head of state was known as the Governor-General and later as the President.

J. R. Jayewardene (1978-1989)

He was the first Executive President of Sri Lanka, serving from 1978 to 1989. He was a prominent political figure in Sri Lanka, having served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka twice before becoming President.

Jayewardene was a member of the United National Party (UNP) and was instrumental in introducing a new Constitution in 1978 which established the Executive Presidency in Sri Lanka. He was elected as the first Executive President of Sri Lanka in 1977 and served two consecutive six-year terms.

He implemented a number of economic and political reforms during his presidency, including the liberalization of the economy, the establishment of a free-market system, and the decentralization of government power. He also played a key role in ending the Tamil insurgency in the country.

Despite this, J.R. Jayewardene is considered one of the most important figures in Sri Lanka's post-independence history. His legacy includes the establishment of the Executive Presidency and a number of economic and political reforms that helped shape the country's development in the years that followed.

Ranasinghe Premadasa (1989-1993)

Ranasinghe Premadasa was the President of Sri Lanka from 1989 until his assassination in 1993. He was a member of the United National Party, and he was elected as President in 1989, defeating his opponent, Srimavo Bandaranaike. 

During his Presidency, Premadasa implemented a number of economic and social development programs, and he also pursued a policy of reconciliation with the country's Tamil minority. On May 1, 1993, he was assassinated while participating in a May Day parade in Colombo.

Dingiri Banda Wijetunga (1993-1994)

Following the assassination of Ranasinghe Premadasa in May 1993, Wijetunga took over as President. A member of the United National Party, Wijetunga was elected to the position by the Sri Lankan parliament, making him unique in Sri Lankan history as the only President who did not receive direct election by the citizens.

During his Presidency, he continued many of the policies of his predecessor, and he also oversaw the signing of a peace accord between the government and Tamil separatist groups. His term ended on November 12, 1994, when Chandrika Kumaratunga was elected as President.

Chandrika Kumaratunga (1994-2005)

She was the first female President in the country's history, and the daughter of two former Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and Sirimavo Bandaranaike. 

She was elected as President in 1994 as the candidate of the People's Alliance, a coalition of leftist and centrist political parties. During her Presidency, Kumaratunga implemented a number of economic and social development programs, and she also pursued a policy of reconciliation with the country's Tamil minority.

Mahinda Rajapaksa (2005-2015)

He was elected as President in 2005, defeating his opponent, Ranil Wickremesinghe. Rajapaksa was a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, and his Presidency was characterized by a strong emphasis on economic development and a hardline stance on the country's Tamil minority. 

 He oversaw the end of the 26-year-long civil war with the Tamil Tiger separatist group, which was defeated in 2009. His Presidency also marked an improvement in the country's economic performance and infrastructure development. However, Rajapaksa's rule was also criticized for human rights abuses, curtailing media freedom, and increasing authoritarianism. He was defeated in the Presidential elections of January 8, 2015, by Maithripala Sirisena.

Maithripala Sirisena (2015-2019)

He was elected as the sixth executive president of Sri Lanka in January 2015, succeeding Mahinda Rajapaksa. Sirisena is a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and was elected as the leader of the party in November 2014. He also served as the Minister of Health and Minister of Defence in previous Sri Lankan governments.

He implemented a number of policies and initiatives aimed at improving the country's political and economic situation. Some of his notable actions include:

• Anti-corruption measures: Sirisena launched a number of investigations into high-profile corruption cases and took steps to improve transparency and accountability in government.
• Human rights: Sirisena introduced a number of measures aimed at addressing the human rights issues in the country, such as releasing political prisoners, reducing the number of deaths in police custody, and improving the rights of minority communities.
• Economic policies: Sirisena introduced a number of economic policies aimed at reviving the country's struggling economy, such as reducing the budget deficit, increasing foreign investment, and promoting exports.

However, Sirisena faced significant challenges during his presidency, including a political crisis in 2018 and accusations of failing to address human rights issues.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa (2019- 2022)

He was elected as the seventh executive president of Sri Lanka in November 2019, succeeding Maithripala Sirisena. Gotabaya Rajapaksa is a member of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party and was elected as the leader of the party in 2019. He also served as the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence during his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa's presidency.

During Gotabaya Rajapaksa's presidency, Sri Lanka faced a severe economic crisis, which was primarily caused by a combination of factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, high levels of debt, and a lack of foreign investment.

During his presidency, the Rajapaksa government implemented a number of measures to address the economic crisis, such as: 

• Obtaining loans from foreign countries and international organizations to meet the country's debt obligations
• Encouraging foreign investment and promoting exports
• Implementing austerity measures to reduce government spending
• Introducing a number of tax concessions and subsidies to support businesses affected by the pandemic.

However, these measures did not yield the expected results and the economic crisis continued to deepen. Despite the government's efforts to revive the economy, it continued to face challenges such as high inflation, unemployment, and a shortage of foreign currency, which resulted in further depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee.

Due to intense public backlash, the president stepped down from his position following widespread protests outside of his residence.

Ranil Wickremesinghe (2022- present)

He is a Sri Lankan politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on multiple occasions. He first served as Prime Minister from 1993 to 1994, and then again from 2001 to 2004. He was also the Leader of the Opposition from 1994 to 2001, and from 2004 to 2015. He also served as the Prime Minister again from 2015 to 2018.

Ranil Wickremesinghe has once again stepped into the political arena, this time as the President of Sri Lanka, following the sudden resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Wickremesinghe has taken on the task of leading the country through a difficult economic crisis. Despite his efforts, the economic situation remains dire, with high levels of unemployment and inflation.

Despite these challenges, Wickremesinghe has been working to implement a number of plans to try and turn the situation around. These include measures to support small businesses, encourage foreign investment, and improve the overall business climate in the country. However, it remains to be seen whether these efforts will be successful in the long term.

In the coming months and years, the country will be watching closely to see if Wickremesinghe is able to make progress in addressing the economic crisis and putting Sri Lanka on a path to recovery. While it is a difficult task, many are hopeful that his leadership and experience in politics will be able to help guide the country through these challenging times.