List of heads of state of Sri Lanka
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This is a list of the heads of state of Ceylon and Sri Lanka, from the independence of the Dominion of Ceylon in 1948 to the present day.
From 1948 to 1972, under the Ceylon Independence Act of 1947, the head of state was the Monarch of the United Kingdom who was represented in Ceylon by a Governor-General. Ceylon became a republic under the Constitution of 1972 and the Monarch and Governor-General were replaced by a ceremonial President. Since 1978, under the current constitution, the President has executive powers, becoming both head of state and government.
Monarch (1948–1972)
From 1948 to 1972 the head of state of Ceylon was the same person as the Monarch of the United Kingdom. The Governor-General of Ceylon exercised the duties of the head of state.
| Portrait | Name | Birth | Reign | Death | Consort | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Royal House |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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George VI | 14 December 1895 | 4 February 1948 – 6 February 1952 |
6 February 1952 | Queen Elizabeth | None (position created) | Windsor |
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Elizabeth II | 21 April 1926 | 6 February 1952 – 22 May 1972 |
8 September 2022 | Prince Philip | Daughter of George VI |
Governors-General
| Portrait | Name (birth–death) |
Took office | Left office | Appointer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore GCMG KStJ (1887–1964) |
4 February 1948 | 6 July 1949 | George VI | |
|
Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury GCMG GCVO OBE MC PC (1887–1971) |
6 July 1949 | 1953 | |
| Elizabeth II | ||||
| Justice Arthur Wijewardena (1887–1964) Acting |
1953 | 1953 | ||
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|
Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury GCMG GCVO OBE MC PC (1887–1971) |
1953 | 1954 | |
| Justice C. Nagalingam KC (1893–1958) Acting |
1954 | 1954 | ||
|
|
Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury GCMG GCVO OBE MC PC (1887–1971) |
1954 | 17 July 1954 | |
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Sir Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke GCMG KCVO KBE (1892–1978) |
17 July 1954 | 2 March 1962 | |
| File:William Gopallawa.jpg | William Gopallawa MBE (1897–1981) |
2 March 1962 | 22 May 1972 |
President of Sri Lanka
Under the 1972 Constitution of the Republic of Sri Lanka, the President replaced the Monarch as ceremonial head of state. The President was elected by the National Assembly for a six-year term. In the event of a vacancy the Prime Minister served as Acting President.
In 1978 Constitution the Presidency became an executive post, the rules was the same as the 1972 Constitution.
- Status
| № | Portrait | President (Birth–Death) |
Elected | Tenure | Political affiliation (at time of appointment) |
Prime Minister | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | |||||||
| Ceremonial President | ||||||||
| 1 | File:William Gopallawa.jpg | William Gopallawa (1897–1981) |
– | 22 May 1972 | 4 February 1978 | Independent | Bandaranaike Jayewardene | |
| Executive President | ||||||||
| 2 | .jpg)
|
J. R. Jayewardene (1906–1996) |
1982 | 4 February 1978 | 2 January 1989 | United National Party | Premadasa | |
| 3 | 
|
Ranasinghe Premadasa (1924–1993) |
1988 | 2 January 1989 | 1 May 1993 (assassinated.) |
United National Party | Wijetunga | |
| 4 | 
|
Dingiri Banda Wijetunga (1916–2008) |
– | 1 May 1993 | 7 May 1993 | United National Party | Wickremesinghe Kumaratunga | |
| 1993 | 7 May 1993 | 12 November 1994 | ||||||
| 5 | 
|
Chandrika Kumaratunga (born 1945) |
1994 1999 |
12 November 1994 | 19 November 2005 | Sri Lanka Freedom Party (PA/UPFA) |
Kumaratunga Bandaranaike Wickremanayake Wickremesinghe M. Rajapaksa | |
| 6 | 
|
Mahinda Rajapaksa (born 1945) |
2005 2010 |
19 November 2005 | 9 January 2015 | Sri Lanka Freedom Party (UPFA) |
Wickremanayake Jayaratne | |
| 7 | .jpg)
|
Maithripala Sirisena (born 1951) |
2015 | 9 January 2015 | 18 November 2019 | Sri Lanka Freedom Party (UPFA)[1] |
Wickremesinghe | |
| 8 | 
|
Gotabaya Rajapaksa (born 1949) |
2019 | 18 November 2019 | 14 July 2022 (resigned.) |
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPFA) |
M. Rajapaksa Wickremesinghe | |
| 9 | 
|
Ranil Wickremesinghe (born 1949) |
– | 14 July 2022 | 20 July 2022 | United National Party (UNF) |
Himself Gunawardena | |
| 2022 | 20 July 2022 | Incumbent | ||||||
Standards
Governor-General's Standard (1948–1952)
Governor-General's Standard (1952–1972)
Presidential Standard of William Gopallawa
Presidential Standard of J. R. Jayewardene
Presidential Standard of Ranasinghe Premadasa
Presidential Standard of Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
Presidential Standard of Chandrika Kumaratunga
Presidential Standard of Mahinda Rajapaksa
Presidential Standard of Maithripala Sirisena
Presidential Standard of Gotabaya Rajapaksa
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Living former heads of state
There are four living former Sri Lankan heads of state:
| Image | Name | Term/Reign | Office | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Chandrika Kumaratunga | 1994–2005 | President of Sri Lanka | 29 July 1945 |
|
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Mahinda Rajapaksa | 2005–2015 | President of Sri Lanka | 11 November 1945 |
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Maithripala Sirisena | 2015–2019 | President of Sri Lanka | 3 September 1951 |
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Gotabaya Rajapaksa | 2019–2022 | President of Sri Lanka | 20 June 1949 |
References
- ^ Elected as a New Democratic Front candidate, with the support of the United National Party.
External links
| Monarch of Ceylon (1948–1972) | .svg){kind=small}  | |
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| President of Sri Lanka (from 1972) | ||