1. Dinesh Chandra Rupasinghe Gunawardena is a Sri Lankan politician who served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 2022 to 2024.
16 Facts About Dinesh Gunawardena
1. 2.
Dinesh Gunawardena held the positions of Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government.
3.
In 2022, Dinesh Gunawardena was appointed the Prime Minister after former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned amidst the ongoing economic crisis and Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as his successor.
4.
Dinesh Gunawardena was born into the political Dinesh Gunawardena family on 2 March 1949.
5.
Dinesh Gunawardena's father, Philip Gunawardena, was known as "the Father of Sri Lankan socialism" and a key independence figure, and his mother, Kusumasiri Gunawardena, was a member of parliament.
6.
Dinesh Gunawardena was appointed to the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna's central committee in August 1973, and became general-secretary of the MEP in 1974.
7.
Dinesh Gunawardena was the MEP's candidate in Avissawella at the 1977 parliamentary election, but failed to get elected until he ran as the MEP's candidate in the Maharagama Electoral District at the 1983 by-election, winning and entering Parliament.
8.
Dinesh Gunawardena was again one of the MEP's candidates in Colombo District at the 1994 parliamentary election, but the MEP failed to win any seats in Parliament.
9.
Dinesh Gunawardena contested the 2000 parliamentary election as one of the PA's candidates in Colombo District.
10.
Dinesh Gunawardena contested the 2004 parliamentary election as one of the UPFA's candidates in Colombo District.
11.
Dinesh Gunawardena was appointed Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply and Deputy Minister of Education after the election.
12.
Dinesh Gunawardena was appointed Chief Government Whip in June 2008.
13.
Dinesh Gunawardena was re-elected in the 2010 parliamentary election, following which he was appointed Minister of Water Supply.
14.
Dinesh Gunawardena lost his cabinet position following the 2015 presidential election, albeit being re-elected.
15.
On 22 July 2022, Dinesh Gunawardena was appointed Prime Minister after former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned amidst the ongoing economic and political crises and Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as his successor by Parliament.
16.
On 23 September 2024, following Wickremesinghe's defeat in the presidential elections and the inauguration of his successor, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Dinesh Gunawardena resigned from the position of prime minister.