Sri Lanka: Dinesh Gunawardena appointed as Prime Minister

by Zulfick Farzan 22-07-2022 | 10:21 AM

COLOMBO (News 1st); Dinesh Gunwardena was sworn in as Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister on Friday (22), in the presence of President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Prime Minister's Office in Colombo.

This is the first appointment made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on his first day in office.

Dinesh Gunawardena was born on 2nd March 1949 to Philip Gunawardena (known as ‘the Lion of Boralugoda’) and Kusuma Gunawardena, both of whom were in the vanguard of the struggle for independence and equity.

He went to school at Royal College, Colombo and then went abroad for his higher education. He received a Diploma in International Business from the Nijenrode Business University, Netherlands and a BBA degree in Business Administration and International Transport from the University of Oregon, USA.

On his return to Sri Lanka in 1973, he entered politics through the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP). In May 1983 he followed in the footsteps of his parents, being elected Member of Parliament for Maharagama.

Positions held by Dinesh Gunawardena:

Minister of Transport (October 2000 - September 2021)

Minister of Transport and Environment (September 2001 - December 2001)

Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply (April 2004 - January 2007)

Deputy Minister of Higher Education (April 2004 - November 2005)

Minister of Urban Development and Sacred Grounds Development (January 2007 - April 2010)

Minister of Urban Development and Sacred Grounds Development, Minister of Water Supply (April 2010 - January 2015)

Minister of Megapolis and Western Development (November 2018 - December 2018)

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Skills Development, Employment and Labour (November 2019 - March 2020)

Minister of Foreign Affairs (August 2020 - August 2021)

Minister of Education (August 2021 - April 2022)

Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, and Local Government (April 2022 - to-date)