Ranil Wickremesinghe

Prime Minister of Sri Lanka

24 March 1949 Colombo, Dominion of Ceylon

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15 December 2018 – 21 November 2019

Former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka The Honourable Ranil Wickremesingheරනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ ரணில் விக்கிரமசிங்க 10th Prime Minister of Sri LankaIn office 15 December 2018 – 21 November 2019PresidentMaithripala Sirisena Gotabaya RajapaksaPreceded by Mahinda RajapaksaSucceeded by Mahinda RajapaksaIn office 9 January 2015 – 26 October 2018PresidentMaithripala SirisenaPreceded by D. M. JayaratneSucceeded by Mahinda RajapaksaIn office 9 December 2001 – 6 April 2004PresidentChandrika KumaratungaPreceded by Ratnasiri WickremanayakeSucceeded by Mahinda RajapaksaIn office 7 May 1993 – 18 August 1994PresidentDingiri Banda WijetungaPreceded by Dingiri Banda WijetungaSucceeded by Chandrika Kumaratunga10th Leader of the OppositionIn office 22 April 2004 – 9 January 2015PresidentChandrika Kumaratunga Mahinda RajapaksaPrime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa Ratnasiri Wickremanayake D. M. JayaratnePreceded by Mahinda RajapaksaSucceeded by Nimal Siripala de SilvaIn office 28 October 1994 – 10 October 2001PresidentChandrika KumaratungaPrime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike Ratnasiri WickremanayakePreceded by Gamini DissanayakeSucceeded by Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Cabinet posts Minister of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement, Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development, Vocational Training, Skills Development and Youth AffairsIn office 20 December 2018 – 21 November 2019PresidentMaithripala Sirisena Gotabaya RajapaksaPrime Minister HimselfPreceded by Maithripala SirisenaIn office 4 September 2015 – 26 October 2018PresidentMaithripala SirisenaPrime Minister HimselfSucceeded by HimselfMinister of Law and OrderIn office 25 February 2018 – 8 March 2018PresidentMaithripala SirisenaPrime Minister HimselfPreceded by Sagala RatnayakaSucceeded by Ranjith Madduma BandaraMinister of Policy Planning, Economics Affairs, Child, Youth and Cultural AffairsIn office 12 January 2015 – 17 August 2015PresidentMaithripala SirisenaPrime Minister HimselfPreceded by Basil RajapaksaIn office 12 December 2001 – 6 April 2004PresidentChandrika KumaratungaPrime Minister HimselfMinister of Industries, Science & TechnologyIn office 18 February 1989 – 1 May 1993PresidentRanasinghe PremadasaPrime Minister Dingiri Banda WijetungaPreceded by Cyril MathewSucceeded by C. V. Gunaratne Leadership positions Leader of the United National PartyIncumbentAssumed office 12 November 1994DeputyGamini Atukorale Karu Jayasuriya Sajith Premadasa Ruwan WijewardenePreceded by Dingiri Banda Wijetunga Constituencies Member of Parliament for National ListIncumbentAssumed office 23 June 2021Member of Parliament for Colombo DistrictIn office 28 October 1994 – 3 March 2020Majority500,566Member of Parliament for Gampaha DistrictIn office 9 March 1989 – 19 August 1994Majority86,477Member of Parliament for BiyagamaIn office 21 July 1977 – 15 February 1989Preceded by Constituency createdSucceeded by Constituency abolishedMajority22,045 Personal detailsBornRanil Wickremesinghe (1949-03-24 ) 24 March 1949 (age 72) Colombo, Dominion of CeylonNationalitySri LankanPolitical partyUnited National PartySpouse(s)Maitree Wickremasinghe ​ ​(m. 1994)​RelationsWijewardene familyParentsEsmond WickremesingheNalini WickremesingheResidence115 Fifth LaneAlma materUniversity of CeylonProfessionAttorney at lawWebsiteOfficial website Other offices held 23 July 1977 – 5 October 1977: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 5 October 1977 – 14 February 1980: Minister of Youth Affairs & Employment 14 February 1980 – 2 January 1989: Minister of Education 2001 – present: Leader of the United National Front for Good Governance Ranil Wickremesinghe (Sinhala: රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ , Tamil: ரணில் விக்கிரமசிங்க ; born 24 March 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician and a Member of Parliament from the National List of the United National Party. He is the leader of the United National Party since 1994. He served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 1993 to 1994, 2001 to 2004, 2015 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019 and has served as Leader of the Opposition from 1994 to 2001 and from 2004 to 2015. Born to a wealthy, political family, he graduated from University of Ceylon and qualified as an Advocate from the Ceylon Law College in 1972. Entering active politics in the mid 1970s with the United National Party, he was first elected to Parliament from the Biyagama electorate in the 1977 parliamentary elections and was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, by his uncle President J. R. Jayewardene. He was thereafter appointed Minister of Youth Affairs and Employment, becoming the youngest Cabinet Minister in Sri Lanka. In 1989, President Ranasinghe Premadasa, appointed Wickremesinghe as the Minister of Industry, Science and Technology and Leader of the House. He succeeded D. B. Wijetunga as Prime Minister in 1993 following the assassination of Premadasa and Wijetunga succession the presidency. He was appointed Leader of the Opposition in November 1994 following the assassination of Gamini Dissanayake during the campaign for the 1994 presidential election. On 8 January 2015, Wickremesinghe was appointed as prime minister by President Maithripala Sirisena, who had defeated President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the 2015 presidential election. Wickremesinghe's coalition alliance, the United National Front for Good Governance, won the 2015 parliamentary election with 106 seats. Although it fell short of an outright majority, Wickremesinghe was re-elected as Prime Minister with over 35 Sri Lanka Freedom Party members joining his cabinet. Wickremesinghe was removed as Prime Minister on 26 October 2018 by President Maithripala Sirisena with the appointment of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister, which Wickremesinghe refused to accept, resulting in a constitutional crisis. The constitutional crisis ended with Sirisena re-appointing Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister on 16 December 2018. He resigned as Prime Minister on 20 November 2019, and was again succeed by Mahinda Rajapaksa following the 2019 presidential election. He contested the following parliamentary elections in 2020, but failed to secure a seat in Parliament.