Ranil Wickremesinghe

Ranil Wickremesinghe, MP (Sinhala: රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ, Tamil: ரணில் விக்ரமசிங்க; born 24 March 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician who was the 9th President of Sri Lanka from 2022 until 2024. He was the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 12 May 2022 until 20 July 2022.^[3] He was Prime Minister before from 1993 to 1994, 2001 to 2004 and 2015 to 2019.

The Right Honourable Ranil Wickremesinghe
රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ ரணில் விக்கிரமசிங்க
9th President of Sri Lanka
In office 21 July 2022 – 23 September 2024 Acting: 13 July 2022 – 21 July 2022
Prime Minister	Dinesh Gunawardena
Preceded by	Gotabaya Rajapaksa[a]
Succeeded by	Anura Kumara Dissanayake
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
In office 12 May 2022 – 20 July 2022
President	Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Preceded by	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Succeeded by	Dinesh Gunawardena
In office 15 December 2018 – 21 November 2019
President	Maithripala Sirisena Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Preceded by	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Succeeded by	Mahinda Rajapaksa
In office 9 January 2015 – 26 October 2018
President	Maithripala Sirisena
Preceded by	D. M. Jayaratne
Succeeded by	Mahinda Rajapaksa
In office 9 December 2001 – 6 April 2004
President	Chandrika Kumaratunga
Preceded by	Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
Succeeded by	Mahinda Rajapaksa
In office 7 May 1993 – 18 August 1994
President	Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
Preceded by	Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
Succeeded by	Chandrika Kumaratunga
10th Leader of the Opposition
In office 22 April 2004 – 9 January 2015
President	Chandrika Kumaratunga Mahinda Rajapaksa
Prime Minister	Mahinda Rajapaksa Ratnasiri Wickremanayake D. M. Jayaratne
Preceded by	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Succeeded by	Nimal Siripala de Silva
In office 28 October 1994 – 10 October 2001
President	Chandrika Kumaratunga
Prime Minister	Sirimavo Bandaranaike Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
Preceded by	Gamini Dissanayake
Succeeded by	Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
Personal details
Born	Ranil Wickremesinghe (1949-03-24) 24 March 1949 (age 76) Colombo, Dominion of Ceylon
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Political party	United National Party
Spouse(s)	Maitree Wickremasinghe ​ ​ (m. 1994)​
Relations	Wijewardene family
Parents	Esmond Wickremesinghe Nalini Wickremesinghe
Residence	115 Fifth Lane
Alma mater	University of Ceylon
Profession	Attorney at law
Website	Official website
Other offices held 23 July 1977 – 5 October 1977: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 5 October 1977 – 14 February 1980: Minister of Youth Affairs & Employment 14 February 1980 – 2 January 1989: Minister of Education 2001 – present: Leader of the United National Front for Good Governance[N 1]

Before, he was Prime Minister of Sri Lanka two times, from 7 May 1993 to 19 August 1994 and from 9 December 2001 to 6 April 2004. A member of the United National Party he was nominated as party leader in November 1994. He is also the leader of the United National Front having been nominated head of the organization in October 2009.

On 9 July 2022, Wickremesinghe announced he was ready to resign to make way for an all-party government as protesters stormed and burned his residence that day.^[4][5] Later in the evening, protesters broke into the Wickremesinghe's private residence in Colombo and set it on fire.^[6]

On 15 July 2022, Wickremesinghe was nominated as the United National Party's presidential nominee for the 2022 presidential election.^[7] He was elected president on 20 July 2022 and was sworn-in the next day.^[8]

Wickremesinghe lost his re-election in 2024, winning 17.2% of the vote.