The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is a Semi-presidential republic determined by the Sri Lankan Constitution. It administers the island from both its commercial capital of Colombo and the administrative capital of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
The president of Sri Lanka is the head of state and head of government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The president is the chief executive of the union government and the commander-in-chief of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. The powers,functions and duties of prior presidential offices,in addition to their relation with the Prime minister and Government of Sri Lanka,have over time differed with the various constitutional documents since the creation of the office. The president appoints the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka who can command the confidence of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.
Ranil Wickremesinghe is a Sri Lankan politician who served as the ninth President of Sri Lanka from 2022 to 2024. Previously,he served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 1993–1994,2001–2004,2015–2019 and in 2022. He held several ministerial roles,including Minister of Finance,Minister of Defence,Minister of Technology and Minister of Women,Child Affairs and Social Empowerment. Wickremesinghe has led the United National Party (UNP) since 1994 and has been Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on six occasions.
The Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the supreme legislative body of Sri Lanka. It alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all other political bodies in the island. It is modeled after the British Parliament. The 16th Parliament of Sri Lanka was dissolved on 24 September 2024.
Mahinda Rajapaksa is a Sri Lankan politician. He served as the sixth President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015;the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 2004 to 2005,2018,and 2019 to 2022;the Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2004 and 2018 to 2019,and the Minister of Finance from 2005 to 2015 and 2019 to 2021. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kurunegala since 2015.
Dinesh Chandra Rupasinghe Gunawardena is a Sri Lankan politician who served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 2022 to 2024. He also held the positions of Minister of Public Administration,Home Affairs,Provincial Councils and Local Government. Gunawardena has been leader of the left-wing Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) party since 1983,was briefly the de facto leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna from 2022 to 2023,and has taken cabinet positions under several previous governments,including Leader of the House from 2020 until 2022.
In Sri Lanka,the Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the largest political party in Parliament that is not a part of the government. This is usually the leader of the second-largest party in Parliament.
In Sri Lanka,the Cabinet of Ministers is the council of senior ministers responsible and answerable to the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The President is a member of the cabinet and its head.
Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena is a Sri Lankan politician and land proprietor. He was the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka from 2020 to 2024.
Maithripala Yapa Sirisena is a Sri Lankan politician who served as the seventh president of Sri Lanka from 9 January 2015 to 18 November 2019. Sirisena is Sri Lanka's first president from the North Central Province of the country and does not belong to the traditional Sri Lankan political elite. He is currently a member of parliament from Polonnaruwa.
Thalatha Atukorale is a Sri Lankan politician and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Atukorale was appointed as the cabinet minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare by President Maithripala Sirisena on 12 January 2015. She was given the additional duties of Minister of Justice on 25 August 2017. becoming the first woman to hold that position in Sri Lanka. She is the sister of Gamini Atukorale,former Minister and assistant leader of the United National Party.
Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage Anura Kumara Dissanayake,commonly referred to by his initials AKD,is a Sri Lankan politician currently serving as the tenth president of Sri Lanka since 23 September 2024. He is the current party leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the National People's Power (NPP).
Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage Jayaratne,known as D. M. "Di Mu" Jayaratne,was a Sri Lankan politician who was Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 2010 to 2015. A founding member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party,Jayaratne was first elected to parliament in 1970. He was sworn in as prime minister on 21 April 2010.
Chamal Jayantha Rajapaksa is a Sri Lankan politician who was Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka from 2010 to 2015. Previously he served as Minister of Ports and Aviation and the Minister for Irrigation and Water Management.
Basil Rajapaksa is a Sri Lankan-American politician. He is a former Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for the national list.
The Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the most senior member of parliament in the cabinet of ministers. It is the second-most powerful position in Sri Lanka's executive branch behind the president,who is the constitutional chief executive. The Cabinet is collectively held accountable to parliament for their policies and actions. The powers and functions of the Prime Minister has changed several times since the creation of the office in 1947.
Parliamentary elections were held in Sri Lanka on 5 August 2020 to elect 225 members to Sri Lanka's 16th Parliament. 16,263,885 people were eligible to vote in the election,31.95% of whom were young voters.
Dr. Harini Amarasuriya is a Sri Lankan academic,activist,and politician serving as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka since 2024. She is the third woman to hold this office.
