Junius Richard Jayewardene,commonly abbreviated in Sri Lanka as J.R.,was the leader of Sri Lanka from 1977 to 1989,serving as Prime Minister from 1977 to 1978 and as the second President of Sri Lanka from 1978 to 1989. He was a leader of the nationalist movement in Ceylon who served in a variety of cabinet positions in the decades following independence. A longtime member of the United National Party,he led it to a landslide victory in 1977 and served as Prime Minister for half a year before becoming the country's first executive president under an amended constitution.
Don Stephen Senanayake was a Ceylonese statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of Ceylon having emerged as the leader of the Sri Lankan independence movement that led to the establishment of self-rule in Ceylon. He is considered as the "Father of the Nation".
Sri Lankabhimanya Dingiri Banda Wijetunga was the fourth President of Sri Lanka from 1 May 1993 to 12 November 1994,Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 3 March 1989 to 7 May 1993 and the Governor of North Western province,Sri Lanka from 1988 to 1989. He was awarded Sri Lanka's most highest award to a civilian Sri Lankabhimanya in 1993 by President Ranasinghe Premadasa.
Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike,often referred to by his initials as S. W. R. D. or S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike and known by the Sri Lankan people as "The Silver Bell of Asia",was the fourth Prime Minister of the Dominion of Ceylon,serving from 1956 until his assassination in 1959. The founder of the left-wing and Sinhalese nationalist Sri Lanka Freedom Party,his tenure saw the country's first left-wing reforms.
Wijeyananda Dahanayake was a Sri Lankan politician. He was the Prime Minister of Ceylon from September 1959 to March 1960.
General Sir John Lionel Kotelawala was a Sri Lankan statesman,who served as the 3rd Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1953 to 1956.
Sir Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke was a Sri Lankan statesman. Having served as an important figure in the gradual independence of Ceylon from Britain,he became the third Governor-General of Ceylon (1954-1962). He was the first Ceylonese individual to hold the vice-regal post.
Patrick de Silva Kularatne was a Sri Lankan educationist and politician. He was a Member of the State Council of Ceylon (1942-1947) and Member of Parliament (1960-1965). He served as Principal of Ananda College and Dharmaraja College and established Nalanda College Colombo,Ananda Balika Vidyalaya,Moratuwa Vidyalaya and Dharmapala Vidyalaya. As a member of the executive committee on Education,he played an instrumental role in the realisation of free education from kindergarten to university.
Dr. Cristopher William Wijekoon Kannangara was a Sri Lankan Lawyer and a politician. He rose up the ranks of Sri Lanka's movement for independence in the early part of the 20th century. As a lawyer he defended the detainees that were imprisoned during the Riots of 1915,many of whom were the emerging leaders of the independence movement. In 1931,he became the President of Ceylon National Congress,the forerunner to the United National Party. Later,he became the first Minister of Education in the State Council of Ceylon,and was instrumental in introducing extensive reforms to the country's education system that opened up education to children from all levels of society.
Imiya Mudiyanselage Raphael Abhayawansa Iriyagolle was a Sri Lankan politician and Cabinet minister who served as Minister of Education between 1965 and 1970.
Sir Edwin Aloysius Perera Wijeyeratne,known as Edwin Wijeyeratne,was a Sri Lankan lawyer,politician,diplomat,and one of the founding members of the Ceylon National Congress and the United National Party. He was a Senator and Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development in the cabinet of D. S. Senanayake. He thereafter he served as Ceylonese High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ceylonese High Commissioner to India
Major Edward "Eddie" Alexander Nugawela,ED was a Ceylonese lawyer,soldier and politician. He was the first Cabinet Minister of Education in independent Sri Lanka (1947–1954),later Cabinet Minister of Health (1954–1956),a Member of Parliament and State Council.
The Prime Minister's Office is a ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka. It provides the administrative and institutional framework for the exercise of the duties and responsibilities vested in the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. From 1947 to 1978 it was the most powerful office within the government. However,after the creation of the executive presidency in 1978 the post of Prime Minister became more or less nominal and functions as a deputy to the President,with a few exceptions.
Udaya Prabath Gammanpila is a Sri Lankan nationalist politician. By profession,he is a computer engineer,lawyer and a politician. He is the current Minister of Energy and Member of Sri Lanka Parliament for Colombo District.
Sir Razik Fareed,OBE,JP,UM,was a Ceylonese landed proprietor,politician and philanthropist. He was the former Cabinet Minister of Trade,Senator,member of parliament and the state council. He had also served as Ceylon's High Commissioner to Pakistan.
Richard Gotabhaya Senanayake was a Sri Lankan politician. He was Minister of Trade and Commerce during the period 1952-56 and 1956-60. He was elected a Member of Parliament from Dambadeniya in 1952 and in 1956 from Kelaniya,thus holding concurrent seats from two constituencies,while he retained his seat from Dambadeniya in 1960 and 1965. He was the eldest son of the freedom fighter Fredrick Richard Senanayake and was educated at the Royal College,Colombo and at Downing College,Cambridge and had become a barrister.
Henry Woodward Amarasuriya was a Ceylonese plantation owner,politician,educationist and philanthropist. He was the Cabinet Minister for Trade and Commerce in the cabinet of D. S. Senanayake. A former member of the Ceylon state council,H. W. Amarasuriya was a founding member and the first general secretary of the United National Party. He also held the position of Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees in the first parliament of Ceylon. A member of the first Education Executive Committee of the state council and a former general manager of the Buddhist schools,he did a great service to improve the education in Ceylon.
Deshamanya Dr. Mohamed Cassim Mohamed Kaleel was a Ceylonese physician,social worker and politician.
George Reginald de Silva was a Ceylonese politician.
Punchi Banda Aloysius Weerakoon was a Ceylonese educator and politician.
