2015 in Sri Lanka

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Decades:	1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2015 Timeline of Sri Lankan history

The following lists notable events that took place during the year 2015 in Sri Lanka .

Incumbents

• President: Mahinda Rajapaksa (until 9 January), Maithripala Sirisena (from 9 January)
• Prime Minister: D. M. Jayaratne (until 9 January), Ranil Wickremesinghe (from 9 January)

Governors

• Central Province – Tikiri Kobbekaduwa (until 19 January); Surangani Ellawala (from 27 January)
• Eastern Province – Mohan Wijewickrama (until January); Austin Fernando (from January)
• North Central Province – Karunarathna Divulgane (until 27 January); P. B. Dissanayake (from 27 January)
• Northern Province – G. A. Chandrasiri (until 27 January); H. M. G. S. Palihakkara (from 27 January)
• North Western Province – Tissa Balalla (until 23 January); Amara Piyaseeli Ratnayake (from 23 January)
• Sabaragamuwa Province – W. J. M. Lokubandara (until 27 January); Marshal Perera (from 27 January)
• Southern Province – Kumari Balasuriya (until 23 January); Hemakumara Nanayakkara (from 23 January)
• Uva Province – Nanda Mathew (until 27 January); M. P. Jayasinghe (from 27 January)
• Western Province – Alavi Moulana (until 23 January); K. C. Logeswaran (from 23 January)

Chief Ministers

• Central Province – Sarath Ekanayake
• Eastern Province – M. N. Abdul Majeed (until 6 February); Ahamed Nazeer Zainulabdeen (from 6 February)
• North Central Province – S. M. Ranjith (until 28 January); Peshala Jayarathne (from 28 January)
• Northern Province – C. V. Vigneswaran
• North Western Province – Dayasiri Jayasekara (until 8 September); Dharmasiri Dassanayake (from 8 September)
• Sabaragamuwa Province – Maheepala Herath
• Southern Province – Shan Wijayalal De Silva
• Uva Province:
  • until 14 January – Shasheendra Rajapaksa
  • 14 January–1 September – Harin Fernando
  • from 15 September – Chamara Sampath Dassanayake
• Western Province – Prasanna Ranatunga (until 4 May); Isura Devapriya (from 4 May)

Events

January

• 8 January – 2015 Sri Lankan presidential election: Over 12 million voters elect a new president. Incumbent president Mahinda Rajapaksa ran for a third term as a candidate of the UPFA. His main challenger is joint opposition candidate and former Minister of Health Maithripala Sirisena. In a major upset, Sirisena wins with 51.28% of the vote, followed by Rajapaksa with 47.58% of the vote. ^[1]
• 9 January:
  • Mahinda Rajapaksa concedes defeat to Maithripala Sirisena in the presidential election, and Sirisena is sworn in as the 7th President of Sri Lanka. ^[2]
  • Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne resigns, following their agreement prior to the election, United National Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is sworn in as the new prime minister by Sirisena. ^[3]
• 11 January – The new Sri Lankan government announces that it will investigate allegations of a coup attempt by Mahinda Rajapaksa, said to be a bid by the former president to retain power after his defeat at the polls. ^[4]

March

• 18 March – Sri Lankan cricketers Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara retire from One International Cricket following the team's defeat against South Africa. Jayawardene ends an 18-year career as the fifth highest ODI run scorer of all time. Sangakkara ends a 15-year career as second highest ODI scorer of all time. ^[5]

May

• 13 May – Sivaloganathan Vithiya, an 18 year old schoolgirl in Pungudutivu is gang raped and murdered.

August

• 15 August – Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara officially retires from all International Cricket after his last Test match against India. ^[6]
• 17 August – 2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election: The United National Front for Good Governance led by the United National Party wins the most seats but fails to secure a majority in parliament, winning 45.66% of the popular vote and 106 seats. ^[7]
• 21 August – Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the UNFGG and UNP, forms a national government with the support of UPFA MPs loyal to incumbent president Maithripala Sirisena. ^{[8] [9]}

Deaths

• 27 April – Daya Alwis, 72, actor

• 30 May – Somalatha Subasinghe, 78, actress

• 16 June – Tony Ranasinghe, 77, actor

• 26 September – Ana Seneviratne, 88, former Sri Lankan Inspector-General of Police

• 15 November – Damitha Saluwadane, 67, actress

• 3 December – Sunil Hettiarachchi, 78, actor
• 23 December – Christy Leonard Perera, 83, actor

References

1. "Sri Lanka's Maithripala Sirisena looks to have toppled Rajapaksa". 9 January 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
2. "Sri Lanka election: shock as president Mahinda Rajapaksa concedes defeat". TheGuardian.com . 9 January 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
3. "Ranil new Prime Minister". DailyMirror.lk. 9 January 2015. Archived from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
4. "Sri Lanka to investigate Rajapaksa 'coup and conspiracy' attempt". 11 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
5. "Sangakkara and Mahela bid farewell as South Africa proceed to the Semi Final". 18 March 2015.
6. Sangakkara, Kumar (27 June 2015), Kumar Sangakkara: Sri Lanka batsman set to retire, BBC, retrieved 27 June 2015
7. "Sri Lanka elections: UNP victory as Rajapaksa faces setback". BBC News . 18 August 2015.
8. "Sri Lanka forms unity government". Bangkok Post . 21 August 2015.
9. "Rajapakse's opposition party joins Sri Lanka government". Malay Mail . Agence France-Presse. 21 August 2015.