President of Sri Lanka: The President of Sri Lanka is an elected head of state and the Chief Executive. The President of Sri Lanka is a dominant political figure in the country; earlier, the position was more of a ceremonial one. The President of Sri Lanka office was created in 1972 and was later empowered with executive powers by the 1978 Constitution which J.R. Jayewardene introduced. In the list of Presidents of Sri Lanka from 1972 to 2022, the first President is William Gopallawa. He had served as the last Governor-General of Ceylon and the first (non-executive) President when Ceylon declared itself a republic in 1972 and changed its name to Sri Lanka. Check the complete list of Presidents of Sri Lanka below from 1972 to 2022.
The current President of Sri Lanka is Ranil Wickremesinghe. He assumed office on July 21, 2022, after being elected by Parliament to serve the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa's term until November 2024. Wickremesinghe previously served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on six occasions. He became acting president on July 13, 2022, after Rajapaksa fled the country amidst the ongoing economic crisis and protests
List of Presidents of Sri Lanka
| S. No. | President | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Gopallawa | May 22, 1972 - February 4, 1978 |
| 2 | Junius Richard Jayewardene | February 4, 1978 - January 2, 1989 |
| 3 | Ranasinghe Premadasa | January 2, 1989 - May 1, 1993 |
| 4 | Dingiri Banda Wijetunga | May 1, 1993 - November 12, 1994 |
| 5 | Chandrika Kumaratunga | November 12, 1994 - November 19, 2005 |
| 6 | Mahinda Rajapaksa | November 19, 2005 - January 9, 2015 |
| 7 | Maithripala Sirisena | January 9, 2015 - November 19, 2019 |
| 8 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa | November 19, 2019 - July 13, 2022 |
| 9 | Ranil Wickremesinghe (Acting) | July 13, 2022 - July 21, 2022 |
| 10 | Ranil Wickremesinghe | July 21, 2022 - Present (as of September 2024) |
How the President of Sri Lanka is elected?
Eligibility
The candidate to contest for the President of Sri Lanka must fulfill the eligibility criteria including- being nominated by a recognized political party or the elected member of the legislature. No person who has been elected twice to the office of President by the people will be qualified thereafter to be elected to such office by the People.
Selection Process
The President of Sri Lanka is elected to the office in a Presidential election which is held nationwide for a five-year term. An elected President of Sri Lanka can serve a maximum of two terms, each term taking effect from the date of taking a public oath of office for the elected term.
Sri Lanka Crisis
Sri Lanka is facing a severe economic crisis which has led to widespread violent protests all over the country. The President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country on July 13, 2022, and appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the acting President to exercise Presidential duties during his absence from Sri Lanka.
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