Prime
Minister of Sri Lanka, Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe
The Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe entered Parliament at the General Election in 1977 aged 28 years, and was appointed deputy Minster of Foreign Affairs, in the first Government headed by J.R. Jayawardene. The following year in September 1978 he was elevated to Cabinet rank by President Jayawardene, as Sri Lanka’s first Minister of Youth Affairs and Employment. He was the youngest Cabinet Member in Sri Lanka. While holding this portfolio, he was additionally appointed Minister of Education in February 1980.
During his tenure as the Minister of Education, he initiated radical educational reforms aimed at the qualitative improvement of school education with a special focus on improving the teaching of English and Science. A school Sports Division was introduced to encourage sports. The education of the handicapped and disabled received special attention, while educational TV and computers were introduced to schools. Ranil Wickremesinghe also activated major improvements in the teaching service, which included the criteria of an education administrative service and a principal’s service. During his tenure, the country saw the establishment of Colleges of Education and a National Institute of Education. The salaries of the education sector were also realistically revised during this period.
As Minister of Youth Affairs and Employment he formulated and implemented the first comprehensive all-island Youth Development Program, which included the promotion of youth clubs throughout the country. He re-organized the industrial apprentice training schemes, and rapidly expanded the number of trainees in the island. He also established the National Youth Center.
When the new President Ranasinghe Premadasa formed his Cabinet in February 1989, Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed the Leader of the House of Parliament. In this role he managed the government’s legislative business with remarkable efficiency. He was also appointed as the Minister of Industries. Later, in March 1990, the functions of Science and Technology were added to his portfolio. He became the Chief Media spokesman for the Cabinet in March 1991.
Ranil Wickremesinghe was responsible for Sri Lanka’s second round of economic liberalization that commenced in 1989. The “Strategy for Industrialization” liberalized the financial sector, de-regularized many other sectors and privatized state enterprises. He developed industrial infrastructure by establishing a number of Investment Promotion Zones and Industrial Estates. He also promoted the establishment of the IT industry in Sri Lanka.
In May 1993, Ranil Wickremesinghe became Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, after the tragic demise of President Premadasa. In that capacity, he strengthened Sri Lanka’s bilateral and multilateral ties with other nations in the region and the Commonwealth. The country’s highest levels of economic growth for the decade were recorded during Mr. Wickremesinghe’s term as Prime Minister. He continued as Prime Minister until the General Election of 1994.
In November 1994, Ranil Wickremesinghe became the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and the Leader of the United National Party. Under his leadership, the UNP undertook extensive restructuring at institutional and grassroots levels and further democratized the party to represent a more equitable balance in terms of ethnicity, gender and youth. Ranil was sworn in as the 12th Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on 9th December 2001 after having won the Parliamentary General Elections.
Ranil Wickremesinghe is the son of Esmond Wickremesinghe and Nalini Wickremesinghe. Esmond was an eminent press magnate and one time Presindent of the International Press Institute. He was an advisor to many Heads-of-Govenrment during his time. Nalini is associated with promoting the arts in the island. She is the daughter of D.R. Wijewardene – on eof the country’s famed freedom fighters and the press baron who founded Sri Lanka’s largest publishing house Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. His paternal grandfather C.L. Wickremesinghe was a highly respected government official who left an indelible mark in the country’s administrative service during the colonial years.
Ranil was born on 24th March 1949. He received his secondary education at Royal College, Colombo. Thereafter, he graduated from the University of Colombo with a degree in Law. While at the University, he was actively involved in student politics, becoming the President of the Law Students Union and the Vice-President of the University Students’ Council. In 1972, he enrolled as an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
Ranil is married to Maithree, a senior Lecturer at the Department of English, University of Kelaniya. She is also a researcher in gender and women’s studies.