Sri Lanka: Dinesh Gunawardena appointed as Prime Minister

Senior politician Dinesh Gunawardena on Friday took over as Sri Lanka's prime minister as President Ranil Wickremesinghe swore in his new Cabinet.

This is the first appointment made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on his first day in office.

Dinesh Gunawardena was born on 2nd March 1949 to Philip Gunawardena (known as ‘the Lion of Boralugoda’) and Kusuma Gunawardena, both of whom were in the vanguard of the struggle for independence and equity.

He went to school at Royal College, Colombo, and then went abroad for his higher education. He received a Diploma in International Business from the Nijenrode Business University, Netherlands, and a BBA degree in Business Administration and International Transport from the University of Oregon, USA.

On his return to Sri Lanka in 1973, he entered politics through the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP). In May 1983 he followed in the footsteps of his parents, being elected Member of Parliament for Maharagama.