Ranil Wickremesinghe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ranil Wickremesinghe
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| රනිල් වික්රමසිංහ ரணில் விக்கிரமசிங்க |
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Wickremesinghe in 2024
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| 9th President of Sri Lanka | |
| In office 21 July 2022 – 23 September 2024 Acting: 14–21 July 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Dinesh Gunawardena |
| Preceded by | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Succeeded by | Anura Kumara Dissanayake |
| 10th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka | |
| In office 12 May 2022 – 21 July 2022 |
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| President |
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| Preceded by | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Succeeded by | Dinesh Gunawardena |
| In office 15 December 2018 – 21 November 2019 |
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| President | Maithripala Sirisena |
| Preceded by | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Succeeded by | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| In office 9 January 2015 – 26 October 2018 |
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| President | Maithripala Sirisena |
| Preceded by | D. M. Jayaratne |
| Succeeded by | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| In office 9 December 2001 – 6 April 2004 |
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| President | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
| Preceded by | Ratnasiri Wickremanayake |
| Succeeded by | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| In office 7 May 1993 – 18 August 1994 |
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| President | Dingiri Banda Wijetunga |
| Preceded by | Dingiri Banda Wijetunga |
| Succeeded by | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
| 10th Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 22 April 2004 – 9 January 2015 |
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| Prime Minister |
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| Preceded by | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Succeeded by | Nimal Siripala de Silva |
| In office 28 October 1994 – 10 October 2001 |
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| Prime Minister |
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| Preceded by | Gamini Dissanayake |
| Succeeded by | Ratnasiri Wickremanayake |
| Ministerial roles | |
| 2022–2024 | Minister of Defence Minister of Technology Minister of Finance Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment |
| 2015–2019 | Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs |
| 1989–1993 | Minister of Industry Leader of the House |
| 1980–1989 | Minister of Education |
| 1977–1980 | Minister of Youth Affairs & Employment |
| 1977 | Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| Member of Parliament for National List |
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| In office 23 June 2021 – 21 July 2022 |
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| Member of Parliament for Colombo District |
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| In office 16 August 1994 – 3 March 2020 |
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| Member of Parliament for Gampaha District |
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| In office 15 February 1989 – 16 August 1994 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 March 1949 Colombo, Dominion of Ceylon |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Political party | United National Party |
| Other political affiliations |
New Democratic Front (since 2024) |
| Spouse | |
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| Residence | 115 Fifth Lane |
| Alma mater | Royal College, Colombo University of Ceylon |
| Occupation | |
Ranil Wickremesinghe (Sinhala: රනිල් වික්රමසිංහ; Tamil: ரணில் விக்கிரமசிங்க; born 24 March 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician. He served as the ninth president of Sri Lanka from 2022 to 2024. He also held the role of Prime Minister of Sri Lanka five times. These terms were from 1993–1994, 2001–2004, 2015–2018, 2018-2019, and in 2022.
Wickremesinghe has held many important government jobs. These include Minister of Finance, Minister of Defence, and Minister of Technology. He has been the leader of the United National Party (UNP) since 1994.
Ranil Wickremesinghe comes from a family involved in politics. He studied at the University of Ceylon and became a lawyer in 1972. He started his political journey in the mid-1970s with the UNP. He was first elected to Parliament in 1977. Over the years, he served in various government roles. He became prime minister for the first time in 1993.
Wickremesinghe ran for president in 1999 and 2005 but did not win. In 2015, he was appointed prime minister by President Maithripala Sirisena. He led a government that included different political groups until 2019. In 2018, he was removed from his position by Sirisena. This caused a big political problem, but he was reappointed after the Supreme Court said his removal was against the rules. He lost his seat in Parliament in 2020. However, he returned to Parliament in 2021 as a special member.
In May 2022, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed Wickremesinghe as prime minister. This happened during a time of political challenges in Sri Lanka. After Rajapaksa resigned in July 2022, Wickremesinghe became the acting president. He was then elected as the 9th President of Sri Lanka by Parliament on 20 July 2022. He took office the next day. He tried to be re-elected for a full term in 2024 but finished in third place.
Contents
- Early Life and Education
- Political Journey
- Presidency (2022–2024)
- After the Presidency
- Family and Personal Life
- Honours
- See also
Early Life and Education
Ranil Wickremesinghe was born on 24 March 1949 in Colombo. He was the second son of Esmond Wickremesinghe and Nalini Wickremesinghe. His father was a lawyer who later managed a large newspaper company. His grandfathers were Cyril Wickremesinghe and D. R. Wijewardena, who was also a newspaper owner.
Wickremesinghe attended Royal Preparatory School and Royal College, Colombo. There, he was classmates with Anura Bandaranaike and Dinesh Gunawardena. He then studied law at the University of Ceylon in Colombo. After graduating, he passed his law exams at Ceylon Law College in 1972. He became a lawyer in 1973. In 2017, he received an honorary doctorate from Deakin University in Australia. This was for his important work in improving the economy, education, and human rights.
Political Journey
Wickremesinghe joined the United National Party (UNP) and moved up in its ranks. In the mid-1970s, he became a main organizer for the Kelaniya area. Later, he became the chief organizer for the Biyagama area. He won the Biyagama seat in the 1977 parliamentary elections and entered Parliament.
He was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in the new government. Soon after, on 5 October 1977, he became the Minister of Youth Affairs & Employment. This made him the youngest cabinet minister in Sri Lanka. As minister, he started the Sri Lanka National Guard and the National Youth Services Council. These programs help young people get job training. On 14 February 1980, he became the Minister of Education.
Under President Ranasinghe Premadasa, Wickremesinghe became the Minister of Industry in 1989. He introduced changes to industries and set up the Biyagama Special Economic Zone. In 1990, he also took on the roles of Science and Technology minister. He became Leader of the House in 1989.
First Time as Prime Minister (1993–1994)
On 7 May 1993, Wickremesinghe became prime minister. This happened after President Ranasinghe Premadasa passed away. Prime Minister Dingiri Banda Wijetunga then became president. During his time as prime minister, Wickremesinghe helped the country's economy grow. He was well-supported by the business community.
Time in Opposition (1994–2001)
In the 1994 parliamentary elections, the UNP lost to Chandrika Kumaratunga's party. Kumaratunga became the new Prime Minister. Wickremesinghe then became the leader of the opposition and the UNP party leader. He was seen as a leader who worked with the government in its early days.
1999 Presidential Election
In the 1999 presidential election, Wickremesinghe was the UNP's candidate for president. After a difficult election period, voting took place on 21 December 1999. President Kumaratunga was re-elected for a second term. After this loss, Wickremesinghe led his party in the 2000 parliamentary elections, but they lost again.
Second Time as Prime Minister (2001–2004)
In the 2001 parliamentary elections, Wickremesinghe led his party to victory. He became the 17th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on 9 December 2001. However, Chandrika Kumaratunga was still the president. This meant the president and prime minister were from different parties. Even though the president was the head of state and government, Wickremesinghe had control over the government's daily work.
During his second time as prime minister, Wickremesinghe suggested the "Western Region Megapolis" project. This plan aimed to build a large new city in the western part of Sri Lanka. He also asked for international help for development. In June 2003, Sri Lanka received over 4.5 billion dollars for rebuilding and development.
Wickremesinghe's foreign policy focused on building stronger ties with Western countries. He hoped their economic support would help Sri Lanka's economy. He also sought help from Norway to resolve the ethnic conflict. In July 2002, he met with United States President George W. Bush. This was the first time a Sri Lankan leader met a US president at the White House in 18 years. This visit focused on economic links between the two countries. He also met with leaders from Britain, Japan, and India.
Peace Talks
Wickremesinghe believed that a political solution was the best way to end the civil war. He thought this could be achieved through peaceful talks with the LTTE. Three months after the election, his government signed a ceasefire agreement (CFA) with the LTTE on 22 February 2002. This agreement aimed to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. Both sides agreed to stop military actions. An international group, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), was formed to check for any violations.
After the CFA, Sri Lanka became safer. The tourism industry grew a lot. The A9 Highway was reopened after 18 years. Wickremesinghe held several rounds of peace talks with the LTTE between 2002 and 2003. The Norwegian government helped facilitate these talks. Six rounds of talks were held in different places around the world.
After the Oslo talks in December 2003, a statement was made. It said that both sides would explore a political solution based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka. This was a very important step in trying to solve the ethnic problem. However, the LTTE later pulled out of the peace talks in March 2003.
The opposition and nationalist groups in Sri Lanka did not support the CFA. They said it threatened the country's independence. The LTTE was also accused of breaking the CFA many times.
Time in Opposition (2004–2015)
In February 2004, President Chandrika Kumaratunga dismissed three ministers and took over their ministries. This ended her government's partnership with Wickremesinghe. She said this decision was for national security. President Kumaratunga then dissolved Parliament on 7 February 2004, ending Wickremesinghe's government.
In the 2004 parliamentary elections on 2 April, Wickremesinghe's party lost. He remained the Leader of the Opposition until 2015. In 2015, Maithripala Sirisena became President and appointed Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister again.
2005 Presidential Election
In December 2004, Wickremesinghe was chosen as the UNP's candidate for the 2005 presidential elections. In the election on 17 November 2005, he was narrowly defeated by Mahinda Rajapaksa. Many Tamil people in the North and East, who were expected to vote for Wickremesinghe, were prevented from voting.
End of the Civil War
The civil war ended with the military defeat of the LTTE. The government held provincial elections in 2008 and 2009. The ruling party won these elections by a large margin.
In November 2009, Wickremesinghe signed an agreement with twelve other opposition parties. They decided to support a common candidate for the 2010 presidential election. They chose former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka as their candidate.
Third, Fourth, and Fifth Times as Prime Minister (2015–2019)
The UNP and other groups agreed to support Maithripala Sirisena as the candidate for the 2015 presidential election. Sirisena promised to appoint Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister if he won.
On 8 January 2015, Maithripala Sirisena was elected President. He appointed Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister on 9 January 2015.
Wickremesinghe's party won the 2015 parliamentary elections on 17 August 2015. He officially became Prime Minister for the fourth time. He received the highest number of votes in the election, setting a new record.
Wickremesinghe promised to create one million jobs for young people. He also pledged to improve education and health. He worked to develop areas affected by the war and met with people in Jaffna to discuss their issues. He also took steps to help communities in the Northern Province.
Wickremesinghe also restarted the Megapolis plan. This project aims to turn the Western Province into a major city by 2030. It plans to solve problems like traffic congestion and waste management. He also showed interest in a similar plan for Trincomalee in the Eastern Province.
He proposed major economic changes. He aimed for a knowledge-based social market economy focused on fairness. He planned to reduce income differences and increase exports. He also launched a loan program called "Swa Shakthi" to help small businesses and rural entrepreneurs. However, in 2017, Sri Lanka's economic growth rate was the lowest in 16 years.
In October 2018, President Maithripala Sirisena appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister. He also said Wickremesinghe was removed from office. Wickremesinghe said this was against the constitution, which led to a political problem. After court rulings, Rajapaksa stepped down, and Wickremesinghe was re-instated as prime minister on 16 December 2018.
Wickremesinghe later supported Sajith Premadasa as the party's candidate for the 2019 Sri Lankan presidential election. Premadasa lost to Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Foreign Policy
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Wickremesinghe's foreign policy aimed to improve relations with India and Western countries. He also wanted to maintain good relations with China. He worked to solve the fishing dispute with India. He also said the Sri Lankan navy had the right to act against Indian fishermen who illegally entered Sri Lankan waters.
His foreign policy was seen as moving away from previous isolationist policies. It aimed to attract investments and financial aid. His government allowed a Chinese company to lease a port for 99 years, which caused some protests in 2017.
He also worked to build relations with Japan and Singapore. During his visit to Japan, he promised to support Japan's goal to get a seat on the United Nations Security Council. He also entered a "comprehensive partnership" with Japan. During his visit to Singapore, he invited Singaporean ships to visit Sri Lanka.
Time in Opposition (2019–2022)
After his defeat, Premadas left the party to form his own. Wickremesinghe led the remaining party members in the 2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election. This election was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 elections resulted in a big win for Mahinda Rajapaksa's party. The United National Party had its worst defeat, not winning a single seat directly. However, Wickremesinghe was sworn in as a special member of Parliament on 23 June 2021.
Wickremesinghe continued to serve as vice chairman of the International Democrat Union. He also chaired the Asia Pacific Democrat Union.
Fifth Time as Prime Minister (2022)
By May 2022, Sri Lanka was facing a severe economic crisis. This led to public unrest. After Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned on 9 May 2022, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed Wickremesinghe as prime minister on 12 May 2022. He was promised support from the ruling party's members of Parliament.
Wickremesinghe was described as an "economic liberal" with experience working with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He stated his goal was to form a national government with all political parties. He aimed to lead the country through its worst economic crisis. He said the coming months would be the most difficult in Sri Lanka's history.
On 25 May, Wickremesinghe was also appointed Minister of Finance, Economic Stability, and National Policies.
On 9 July, Wickremesinghe's office announced he was ready to resign. This was to allow for a government with all parties. This happened as protesters entered and burned his residence that day.
Presidency (2022–2024)
On 13 July, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the country. Wickremesinghe then took charge of the presidency as acting president. He declared a state of emergency in Sri Lanka. After Rajapaksa officially resigned, Wickremesinghe was sworn in as acting president on 15 July. He became President, Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, Minister of Technology, and Minister of Finance all at once. As acting president, he stopped the use of "His Excellency" for the President and removed the presidential flag.
On 20 July, Parliament elected him as the 9th President of Sri Lanka. He was chosen to serve the rest of Rajapaksa's term, which was to end in November 2024. He won against Dullas Alahapperuma. On 21 July, he was sworn in as president. The next day, he appointed Dinesh Gunawardena as prime minister.
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In September 2022, Wickremesinghe visited the UK. He attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.
Handling the Economic Crisis
Wickremesinghe continued government policies to help the economy recover. His government continued power and fuel rationing. They also increased taxes to raise government money. This was to get a bailout package from the IMF. These tax increases were not popular and led to protests. Sri Lanka's economy shrank by 11% in 2022. Inflation reached 54% in December 2022. Wickremesinghe was criticized for celebrating Sri Lanka's 75th Independence Day in February 2023 during the economic crisis.
In March 2023, the IMF approved the first part of its bailout package for Sri Lanka. This was a big step for Wickremesinghe's government. The IMF bailout was expected to bring more support from other lenders. This helped Sri Lanka work on its large public debt. Under the IMF program, his government started economic changes. These included fair pricing for electricity and fuel. They also made the Central Bank more independent. His government also improved relations with Japan.
2024 Presidential Election
In 2024, there was much talk about whether Wickremesinghe would run for president again. By mid-2024, he hinted that he would seek re-election. When the election was called in August 2024, Wickremesinghe announced he would run as an independent candidate. He was supported by the United National Party and other groups.
Wickremesinghe was eliminated in the first round of voting. He finished in third place. Since no candidate won a majority, the election went to a second round. In this round, only the top two candidates remained. The second and third choices from eliminated candidates were counted. Anura Kumara Dissanayake was declared the 9th Executive President of Sri Lanka.
Wickremesinghe left the Presidential Secretariat on 23 September 2024. This allowed for a peaceful transfer of power to Dissanayake.
After the Presidency
After Wickremesinghe's election defeat, it was stated that he would not run in the upcoming parliamentary elections. However, Wickremesinghe actively campaigned for the New Democratic Front. This is a group of parties that supported him during his presidential campaign.
Family and Personal Life
Wickremesinghe married Maithree Wickremesinghe in 1994. She is a Sri Lankan academic and Professor of English. Wickremesinghe has tried to keep his private life separate from politics. His personal life is not often discussed publicly. Maithree Wickremesinghe avoided the political spotlight until Wickremesinghe became prime minister again in 2015.
His paternal grandfather was Cyril Leonard Wickremesinghe, who was a civil servant. His maternal grandfather was D. R. Wijewardena, a newspaper owner.
Several of Wickremesinghe's close relatives were also involved in government. His cousins Ruwan Wijewardene and Wasantha Senanayake held ministerial roles. His aunt Amari Wijewardene was the Sri Lanka High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Honours
- Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow – Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2014)
- Doctor of Laws (honorary) – Deakin University (2017)
See also
In Spanish: Ranil Wickremesinghe para niños
- List of political families in Sri Lanka
