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, 2015–2018, 2018-2019 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 United National Party is a centre-right political party in Sri Lanka. The UNP has served as the country's ruling party, or as part of its governing coalition, for 38 of the country's 74 years of independence, including the periods 1947–1956, 1965–1970, 1977–1994, 2001–2004 and 2015–2019. The party also controlled the executive presidency from its formation in 1978 until 1994 and again from 2022 to 2024.
The Ministry of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms is the cabinet ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka responsible for the implementation of policies, plans and programmes for the administration of the country's justice system, and thereby administers its courts and prisons. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe is the incumbent Minister of Justice as of 20 May 2022.
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 entered as a member of parliament from Polonnaruwa back in 2020 and ended his tenure in 2024.
Gamini Lakshman Peiris is a Sri Lankan politician and academic. He was the Cabinet Minister of External Affairs and is a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka from the National List. He was also the State Minister of Defense on 18 April 2022, serving until 11 July 2022. He previously served as the Minister of Education, Minister of Justice in previous Sri Lankan Governments. He belongs to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, serving as its chairperson.
Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, MP, PC is a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician. He was the Minister of Justice from 2022 to 2024 and from 2015 to 2017. He was the prime minister's nominee for the Constitutional Council of Sri Lanka.
The Ministry of Tourism and Lands is the central government ministry of Sri Lanka responsible for land and parliamentary reforms. The ministry is responsible for formulating and implementing national policy on lands and other subjects which come under its purview. The current Minister of Tourism and Lands is Harin Fernando. The ministry's secretary is W.A. Chulananda Perera.
Ronald Joseph Godfrey de Mel was a Sri Lankan civil servant and politician. He served as the Minister of Finance under President J. R. Jayewardene's government from 1977 to 1988 and was instrumental in the establishment of the free market economy in Sri Lanka. He was also the longest serving finance minister of Sri Lanka. De Mel served as a Member of Parliament on multiple occasions, first from the Devinuwara District from 1970 to 1989, then from the Matara District from 1994 to 2000, and finally as a National list member of Parliament from 2000 to 2004. He also served as a Senior Adviser to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Although he was a self-described socialist, de Mel has been credited with introducing capitalism and capitalist reforms to Sri Lanka's economy. He left a lasting mark on Sri Lanka's economy and political life, as recognized by national leaders at his funeral.
The prime minister of Sri Lanka, officially 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.
The Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment is the Sri Lankan government ministry responsible for "Formulating, executing and regulating provisions and policies aligned to practices of good governance to ensure the rights of children and women by empowering socio-economic conditions, instilling values and ensuring participation through strategic integration with all stakeholders leading to a dignified nation".
The Ministry of Health is the central government ministry of Sri Lanka responsible for health. The ministry is responsible for formulating and implementing national policy on health, nutrition, indigenous medicine and other subjects which come under its purview.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is a cabinet ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka responsible for public administration.
The Ministry of Fisheries is the central government ministry of Sri Lanka responsible for fisheries. The ministry is responsible for formulating and implementing national policy on fisheries and aquatic resources development and other subjects which come under its purview. The current Minister of Fisheries is Douglas Devananda. The ministry's secretary is K.D.S. Ruwanchandra.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka who is responsible for overseeing the international diplomacy of the Government of Sri Lanka. The post was first created in 1947 as Minister of External Affairs and Defence, in 1977 the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence separated into two ministries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence. Prior to the separation of the post the Minister of External Affairs and Defence was held by the Prime Minister since 1947, with a Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and External Affairs who was an elected parliamentarian and was the de facto foreign minister.
The Ministry of Agriculture is the central government ministry of Sri Lanka responsible for agriculture. The ministry is responsible for formulating and implementing national policy on home affairs and other subjects which come under its purview. The current Minister of Agriculture is President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The ministry's secretary is B. Wijayaratne.
The Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government is a cabinet ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka responsible for provincial councils and local government. The ministry is responsible for formulating and implementing national policy on provincial councils and Local Government and other subjects which come under its purview. The current Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government is Dinesh Gunawardena. The ministry's secretary is H. T. Kamal Pathmasiri. The ministry has had oversight of drafting the 20th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution.
Mahamood Lebbe Alim Mohamed Hizbullah is a Sri Lankan politician and state minister. He was a minor presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential elections.
Mohamed Uvais Mohamed Ali Sabry, PC, MP, also known as Ali Sabry, is a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 22 July 2022 to 23 September 2024. He previously served as the Minister of Finance until 9 May 2022. He was a Member of Parliament, appointed from the national list of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna. He also served as the Minister of Justice until 9 May 2022. He served as the defense counsel of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, chief legal adviser and President of the Muslim Federation of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.
The 2022 Sri Lankan political crisis was a political crisis in Sri Lanka due to the power struggle between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the people of Sri Lanka. It was fueled by the anti-government protests and demonstrations by the public due to the economic crisis in the country. The anti-government sentiment across various parts of Sri Lanka has triggered a state of political instability that is unprecedented in the nation's history.
