Dinesh Gunawardena

Dinesh Chandra Rupasinghe Gunawardena (Sinhala: දිනේෂ් චන්ද්‍ර රූපසිංහ ගුණවර්ධන, Tamil: தினேஷ் சந்திர ரூபசிங்க குணவர்தன; born 2 March 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician serving as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka since 22 July 2022. He also holds the positions of Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government. Gunawardena has been leader of the left-wing Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) party since 1983, was briefly the de facto leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna from 2022 to 2023, and has taken cabinet positions under several previous governments, including Leader of the House from 2020 until 2022.

Hon.
Dinesh Gunawardena
MP
දිනේෂ් ගුණවර්ධන
தினேஷ் குணவர்தன
Gunawardena in 2020
15th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Assumed office
22 July 2022
PresidentRanil Wickremesinghe
Preceded byRanil Wickremesinghe
Cabinet positions
Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government
Assumed office
18 April 2022
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Ranil Wickremesinghe
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Ranil Wickremesinghe
Himself
Preceded byJanaka Bandara Tennakoon
Minister of Education
In office
16 August 2021 – 18 April 2022
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Preceded byG. L. Peiris
Succeeded byRamesh Pathirana
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
22 November 2019 – 16 August 2021
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Preceded byTilak Marapana
Succeeded byG. L. Peiris
Minister of Water Supply and Drainage
In office
April 2010 – 12 January 2015
Preceded byA. L. M. Athaullah
Succeeded byRauff Hakeem
Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply
In office
April 2004 – April 2010
Preceded byGamini Atukorale
Succeeded byMahinda Rajapaksa
Deputy Minister of Education of Sri Lanka
In office
April 2004 – January 2007
Succeeded byM. Satchithanandan
Minister of Transport of Sri Lanka
In office
October 2000 – December 2001
Preceded bySrimani Athulathmudali
Succeeded byGamini Atukorale
Parliamentary positions
Leader of the House
In office
20 August 2020 – 27 July 2022
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Ranil Wickremesinghe
Himself
Preceded byLakshman Kiriella
Succeeded bySusil Premajayantha
Chief Government Whip
In office
17 June 2008 – 20 January 2015
Preceded byJeyaraj Fernandopulle
Succeeded byGayantha Karunathilaka
President of Mahajana Eksath Peramuna
Assumed office
1972
Preceded byPhilip Gunawardena
Leader of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
In office
July 2022 – 15 December 2023
Preceded byMahinda Rajapaksa
Succeeded byMahinda Rajapaksa
Member of Parliament
Assumed office
10 October 2000
ConstituencyColombo
In office
18 May 1983 – 16 August 1994
ConstituencyMaharagama (1983–1989)
Colombo (1989–1994)
Preceded byPremarathne Gunasekera
Personal details
Born (1949-03-02) 2 March 1949
Colombo, Dominion of Ceylon
Political partySri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
Other political
affiliations		Mahajana Eksath Peramuna
Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance
Alma materRoyal College Colombo, University of Oregon
OccupationTrade unionist
  1. Minister of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development from January 2007 to April 2010.
  2. Minister of Transport and Environment from September 2001 to December 2001.

Born in a political family, the son of Philip Gunawardena and Kusumasiri Gunawardena, and nephew of Vivienne Goonewardene, he was educated at Royal College, Colombo and later at the University of Oregon, where he advocated pacifism in the Vietnam War. Entering politics in 1983 as a Member of Parliament from Maharagama and later Colombo, his first role in government was as Minister of Transport under Ratnasiri Wickremanayake.

In 2022, Gunawardena was appointed as the Prime Minister after former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned amidst the ongoing economic crisis and Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as his successor.

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