Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena MP
දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන தினேஷ் குணவர்தன
Gunawardena in 2020
15th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 July 2022
President	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Preceded by	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Cabinet positions Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Incumbent Assumed office 18 April 2022 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe Himself Preceded by Janaka Bandara Tennakoon Minister of Education In office 16 August 2021 – 18 April 2022 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa Preceded by G. L. Peiris Succeeded by Ramesh Pathirana [N 1] Minister of Foreign Affairs In office 22 November 2019 – 16 August 2021 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa Preceded by Tilak Marapana Succeeded by G. L. Peiris Minister of Water Supply and Drainage In office April 2010 – 12 January 2015 Preceded by A. L. M. Athaullah Succeeded by Rauff Hakeem Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply [a] In office April 2004 – April 2010 Preceded by Gamini Atukorale Succeeded by Mahinda Rajapaksa Deputy Minister of Education of Sri Lanka In office April 2004 – January 2007 Succeeded by M. Satchithanandan Minister of Transport of Sri Lanka [b] In office October 2000 – December 2001 Preceded by Srimani Athulathmudali Succeeded by Gamini Atukorale
Parliamentary positions Leader of the House In office 20 August 2020 – 27 July 2022 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe Himself Preceded by Lakshman Kiriella Succeeded by Susil Premajayantha Chief Government Whip In office 17 June 2008 – 20 January 2015 Preceded by Jeyaraj Fernandopulle Succeeded by Gayantha Karunathilaka President of Mahajana Eksath Peramuna Incumbent Assumed office 1972 Preceded by Philip Gunawardena Leader of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna In office July 2022 – 15 December 2023 Preceded by Mahinda Rajapaksa Succeeded by Mahinda Rajapaksa Member of Parliament Incumbent Assumed office 10 October 2000 Constituency Colombo In office 18 May 1983 [1] – 16 August 1994 Constituency Maharagama (1983–1989) Colombo (1989–1994) Preceded by Premarathne Gunasekera
Personal details
Born	(1949-03-02) 2 March 1949 (age 75) Colombo, Dominion of Ceylon
Political party	Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
Other political affiliations	Mahajana Eksath Peramuna Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance
Alma mater	Royal College Colombo, University of Oregon
Occupation	Trade unionist
^ Minister of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development from January 2007 to April 2010. ^ Minister of Transport and Environment from September 2001 to December 2001.

Dinesh Chandra Rupasinghe Gunawardena ( Sinhala: දිනේෂ් චන්ද්‍ර රූපසිංහ ගුණවර්ධන, Tamil: தினேஷ் சந்திர ரூபசிங்க குணவர்தன; born 2 March 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician serving as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka since 22 July 2022. He also holds 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, ^[2] and has taken cabinet positions under several previous governments, including Leader of the House from 2020 until 2022.

Born in a political family, the son of Philip Gunawardena and Kusumasiri Gunawardena, and nephew of Vivienne Goonewardene, he was educated at Royal College, Colombo and later at the University of Oregon, where he advocated pacifism in the Vietnam War. Entering politics in 1983 as a Member of Parliament from Maharagama and later Colombo, his first role in government was as Minister of Transport under Ratnasiri Wickremanayake.

In 2022, Gunawardena was appointed as the Prime Minister after former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned amidst the ongoing economic crisis and Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as his successor.

Early life and family

Gunawardena was born into the political Gunawardena family on 2 March 1949. ^{[3] [4]} His father, Philip Gunawardena, was known as "the Father of Sri Lankan socialism" and a key independence figure, and his mother, Kusumasiri Gunawardena, was a member of parliament. His aunt, Vivienne Goonewardene, was often considered the "foremost female figure in the Sri Lankan left". ^{[4] [5]}

Educated at Royal Primary School, Colombo and Royal College, Colombo, he went on to study at the Netherlands School of Business. ^{[6] [7] [8] [4] [5]} He also graduated with a B.B.A. from the University of Oregon, and whilst in the United States, became involved in student activism, taking part in anti-Vietnam War protests. ^[4]

Gunawardena later married Ramani Wathsala Kotelawela. ^{[9] [10]} They had one son, Yadamini, and one daughter, Sankapali. ^{[5] [10]} Ramani died of undiagnosed hepatitis in the mid-1980s. ^[9]

Political career

1972–2000

After graduation from the University of Oregon, Gunawardena worked in New York City, but returned to Sri Lanka in 1972 after his father's death. ^[5] He was appointed to the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna's (MEP) central committee in August 1973, and became general-secretary of the MEP in 1974. ^[4]

Gunawardena was the MEP's candidate in Avissawella at the 1977 parliamentary election, but failed to get elected until he ran as the MEP's candidate in the Maharagama Electoral District at the 1983 by-election, winning and entering Parliament. ^{[11] [12]} During the 1989 parliamentary election, Gunawardena successfully ran as one of the MEP's candidates in the multi-member Colombo Electoral District. ^[13] He was again one of the MEP's candidates in Colombo District at the 1994 parliamentary election, but the MEP failed to win any seats in Parliament.

2000–2010

On 27 August 2000, the MEP joined the People's Alliance (PA). ^[14] Gunawardena contested the 2000 parliamentary election as one of the PA's candidates in Colombo District. He was elected and re-entered Parliament. ^[15]

Following the 2000 election, he was appointed Minister of Transport, and was given the additional portfolio of Environment in September 2001. ^{[16] [17]} He was re-elected at the 2001 parliamentary election. ^[18]

On 20 January 2004 the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) formed the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), which the MEP joined on 2 February 2004. ^{[19] [20]} Gunawardena contested the 2004 parliamentary election as one of the UPFA's candidates in Colombo District. He was elected and re-entered Parliament. ^[21] He was appointed Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply and Deputy Minister of Education after the election. ^{[22] [23]} In January 2007 his cabinet portfolio was changed to Minister of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development but he lost his deputy ministerial position. ^{[24] [25]} He was appointed Chief Government Whip in June 2008. ^[26]

2010–present

Gunawardena was re-elected in the 2010 parliamentary election, following which he was appointed Minister of Water Supply. ^{[27] [28] [29]} He lost his cabinet position following the 2015 presidential election, albeit being re-elected. ^{[30] [31]} In March 2017 he was suspended from parliamentary sittings for one week due to repeatedly disrupting proceedings. ^[32]

On 22 July 2022, Gunawardena was appointed as Prime Minister after former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned amidst the ongoing economic and political crises and Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as his successor by Parliament. Gunawardena and Wickremesinghe were classmates during school days. ^[33]

Electoral history

Notes

Further reading

• D P Satish (6 January 2020). "Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Whose Parents Were Jailed During India's Freedom Struggle to Visit Delhi". News18.

References