Dinesh Gunawardena sworn in as the 15th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka


Dinesh Gunawardena: Senior politician and staunch Rajapaksa loyalist Dinesh Gunawardena has been appointed as the new and 15th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

Key Highlights:

  • The 73-year-old was sworn in as the PM at the Prime Minister’s Office on Flower Road, Colombo on July 22, 2022, by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
  • With the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing the country and resigning from his position, Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the eighth President of Sri Lanka on July 21, 2022 through a parliamentary vote. 
  • He was sworn in along with 17 other cabinet ministers.
  • Gunawardena, had been appointed Home Minister in April by the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
  • He was chosen for the Prime Ministerial post after many discussions within Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party on July 21st.
  • Along with Prime Ministership, Gunawardena has additional charge of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Council, and Local Government.
  • Gunawardena succeeds Wickremesinghe, who was hand-picked by Mr. Gotabaya for the job in May, after Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from the post, amid soaring public outrage against the Rajapaksa clan.

Sri Lanka Crisis:

  • Sri Lanka's economy is bracing for a sharp contraction due to a scarcity of essential manufacturing inputs, a currency depreciation of 80% since March 2022, a lack of foreign reserves, and the country's failure to pay its international debt commitments.


A)
B)
C)
D)


Share