75-458: The United National Party ( UNP ; Sinhala : එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය , romanized: Eksath Jāthika Pakshaya , Tamil : ஐக்கிய தேசியக் கட்சி , romanized: Aikkiya Tēciyak Kaṭci ) is a centre-right political party in Sri Lanka . The UNP has served as the country's ruling party, or as part of its governing coalition, for 38 of the country's 74 years of independence, including
150-518: A Christian tradition, Christianity was introduced by Thomas the Apostle in Sri Lanka (as well as India ) during the 1st century. The first evidence of Christianity in Sri Lanka is the account in the 6th-century Christian Topography , which says a community of Persian Nestorians lived on the island. The Anuradhapura cross , discovered in 1912, is probably a relic of this community. However,
225-616: A 10,000 Sri Lankan rupees pay hike and reduced prices on 13 goods. The National Medicine Regulatory Authority Bill was passed, providing for the establishment of a regulatory authority to be known as the National Medicines Regulatory Authority. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was approved by the Cabinet at an emergency Cabinet meeting on 16 March 2015. UNP won a majority of seats (106) in
300-662: A Dravidian origin for this word. ), dola for pig in Vedda and offering in Sinhala. Other common words are rera for wild duck, and gala for stones (in toponyms used throughout the island, although others have also suggested a Dravidian origin). There are also high frequency words denoting body parts in Sinhala, such as olluva for head, kakula for leg, bella for neck and kalava for thighs, that are derived from pre-Sinhalese languages of Sri Lanka. The oldest Sinhala grammar, Sidatsan̆garavā , written in
375-489: A cabinet, however they offered conditional support to policies aimed at reviving the economy. Wickremesinghe became Prime Minister despite his party having only one seat in parliament, a first in Sri Lankan parliamentary history. On 9 July 2022, protestors stormed and occupied the presidential residence as economic conditions got worse. Wickremesinghe agreed to resign while President Gotabaya Rajapaksa agreed to resign on
450-749: A coalition with the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna and the Tamil ethnic Federal Party which took power in 1965 under Dudley Senanayake. The coalition lost in a 1970 landslide to the United Front alliance of the SLFP with Marxist Parties . A bitter leadership battle in the UNP developed between the populist Dudley Senanayake and the more conservative Junius Richard Jayewardene , a strong supporter of free-market and pro- American policies. The latter
525-555: A housing project for the homeless; modernizing of the Ratmalana Airport ; construction of the Kelaniya Bridge; and the development of Buddhist religious sites. There was growing disaffection with the UNP particularly because of its support of minority religious groups – most notably Catholics – to the consternation of the predominantly Buddhist Sinhalese . Bandaranaike was able to take advantage and lead
600-736: A letter of resignation to the Speaker of the Parliament . On 15 July, the Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abewardhana announced the official resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Ranil Wickremesinghe was officially sworn in as the acting president, and was later elected by the Parliament of Sri Lanka to complete the remainder of Rajapaksa's term. As Wickremesinghe's term was coming to an end in 2024, there were many speculations whether Wickremesinghe would run for
675-745: A major role in the Colombo plan . During his tenure, free education commenced and the University of Peradeniya opened. However, his government proceeded to disenfranchise the plantation workers of Indian descent , the Indian Tamils, using the Ceylon Citizenship Act of 1948 and the Parliamentary Elections Amendment Act of 1949. These measures were intended primarily to electorally undermine
750-488: A major split in early 2020 when its working committee became divided over a new alliance that it had previously approved. Leadership of the alliance was given to its deputy leader, the popular Sajith Premadasa. Over three-quarters of the parliamentary group refused to sign nominations from the party, instead making nominations under the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (English: Peace People's Power, SJB) alliance. As
825-491: A massive media attack on their nominal partners, branding Wickremesinghe as a traitor and accusing the UNP government of "selling" national heritage sites to foreigners. Early in 2004, the SLFP and JVP formed the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), marking the beginning of the end for the UNP government. In February 2004, within 24 hours of delivering a speech for national unity, Kumaratunga dissolved parliament. In
SECTION 10
#1732765578100900-532: A penchant for neoliberal economic policies. By 2001 the country was facing the worst economic downturn since independence, with rising inflation and a power crisis. GDP was shrinking by 2.5%. The SLFP government fell on a no-confidence motion by the opposition, which prompted President Kumaratunga to call for early elections. Wickremesinghe secured the support of former government notables, including former Kumaratunga confidants, G. L. Peiris , and S. B. Dissanayake , who would later become important members of
975-722: A period of prior bilingualism: "The earliest type of contact in Sri Lanka, not considering the aboriginal Vedda languages, was that which occurred between South Dravidian and Sinhala. It seems plausible to assume prolonged contact between these two populations as well as a high degree of bilingualism. This explains why Sinhala looks deeply South Dravidian for an Indo-Aryan language. There is corroboration in genetic findings." In addition to many Tamil loanwords , several phonetic and grammatical features also present in neighbouring Dravidian languages set modern spoken Sinhala apart from its Northern Indo-Aryan relatives. These features are evidence of close interactions with Dravidian speakers. Some of
1050-617: A populist leader from the lower class known for his anti-Indian sentiment. After he was elected as president in 1988 , he launched the Million Houses Programme for the homeless and started the 'Village Re-Awakening Movement' (Gam Udawa) to develop rural areas across the country. Premadasa's people-oriented programs include the Janasaviya , the Garment Factories Programme, and decentralization of
1125-565: A result, ninety-nine of the party's seniors were suspended from its membership. Party supporters moved to the new alliance, along with supporting minority parties. After failed negotiations, the SJB and the UNP decided to contest the 2020 parliamentary elections separately. Delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic , 2020 parliamentary elections resulted in a landslide victory of the SLPP, which gained 59.09% of
1200-457: A solution to the ethnic conflict. During Eelam War III , which followed as the negotiations were not yet complete, the LTTE proceeded to seize territories that it had lost. The UNP government maintained strict fiscal discipline and market-friendly policies, which led to economic recovery, large-scale investment, and rapid economic growth. The government created key economic institutions such as
1275-546: A successful national Buddhist movement for the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Hindus make up 12.6% of Sri Lanka's population. Hinduism was practiced by Native Kings before their conversion to Buddhism. The origins of the religion are linked to early Tamil immigration into the island since the Chola conquests in the 10th century or even earlier with the Saivite devotional movement that swept South India. Hinduism in Sri Lanka
1350-513: A term of his own right in the 2024 presidential election . By mid-2024, Wickremesinghe himself was hinting that he would run for re-election. As the election was called in August 2024, Wickremesinghe announced that he would run for re-election as an independent candidate. He was endorsed by the UNP and a breakaway faction of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna . He was also endorsed by several minor parties which had endorsed Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2019, such as
1425-463: Is a conspicuous example of the linguistic phenomenon known as diglossia . Sinhala ( Siṁhala ) is a Sanskrit term; the corresponding Middle Indo-Aryan ( Eḷu ) word is Sīhala . The name is a derivative of siṁha , the Sanskrit word for 'lion'. The name is sometimes glossed as 'abode of lions', and attributed to a supposed former abundance of lions on the island. According to
1500-599: Is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka , who make up the largest ethnic group on the island, numbering about 16 million. Sinhala is also spoken as the first language by other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, totalling about 2 million speakers as of 2001. It is written using the Sinhala script , which is a Brahmic script closely related to the Grantha script of South India. Sinhala
1575-524: Is bound for protection and fostering of Buddhist Dharma throughout the nation. However, the constitution also provides for freedom of religion and right to equality among all its citizens. In 2008 Sri Lanka was the third most religious country in the world according to a Gallup poll , with 99% of Sri Lankans saying religion is an important part of their daily life. Religion in Sri Lanka (2012 census) The census 2001 covered 18 districts only. The district percentages shown are from 2001 census except where
SECTION 20
#17327655781001650-484: Is divided into four epochs: The most important phonetic developments of Sinhala include: According to Wilhelm Geiger , an example of a possible Western feature in Sinhala is the retention of initial /v/ which developed into /b/ in the Eastern languages (e.g. Sanskrit viṁśati "twenty", Sinhala visi- , Hindi bīs ). This is disputed by Muhammad Shahidullah who says that Sinhala Prakrit branched off from
1725-469: Is largely identified with the Tamil population and is concentrated in the Northern, Eastern and Central Provinces. The population declined since the 1981 census on account of Sri Lankan Tamil emigration overseas and the repatriation of 'Indian' Tamils. A significant Hindu religious figure in Sri Lankan modern history is Satguru Siva Yogaswami of Jaffna . One of the mystics of the 20th century, Yogaswami
1800-461: Is officially a Buddhist country, while Sri Lankans practice a variety of religions . As of the 2012 census, 70.2% of Sri Lankans were Buddhists, 12.6% were Hindus , 9.7% were Muslims (mainly Sunni ), 7.4% were Christians (mostly Catholics ). Buddhism is declared as the State religion of Sri Lanka and has been given special privileges in the Sri Lankan constitution such as the government
1875-412: Is one of the official and national languages of Sri Lanka, alongside Tamil . Along with Pali , it played a major role in the development of Theravada Buddhist literature. Early forms of the Sinhala language are attested as early as the 3rd century BCE. The language of these inscriptions, still retaining long vowels and aspirated consonants, is a Prakrit similar to Magadhi , a regional associate of
1950-524: The Ceylon Workers' Congress , Eelam People's Democratic Party , and Mahajana Eksath Peramuna . This was Wickremesinghe's third bid for the presidency, and his first time not running as a candidate of the UNP. Wickremesinghe was eliminated at the end of the first phase of the vote counting, finishing in third place with only 17.27% of the vote, compared to NPP candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake 's 42.31% and SJB candidate Sajith Premadasa's 32.76%. As
2025-729: The Middle Indian Prakrits that had been used during the time of the Buddha . The most closely related languages are the Vedda language (an endangered, indigenous creole still spoken by a minority of Sri Lankans, mixing Sinhala with an isolate of unknown origin and from which Old Sinhala borrowed various aspects into its main Indo-Aryan substrate), and the Maldivian language . It has two main varieties, written and spoken, and
2100-587: The UNESCO National Commission of Ceylon According to Wilhelm Geiger , Sinhala has features that set it apart from other Indo-Aryan languages. Some of the differences can be explained by the substrate influence of the parent stock of the Vedda language . Sinhala has many words that are only found in Sinhala, or shared between Sinhala and Vedda and not etymologically derivable from Middle or Old Indo-Aryan. Possible examples include kola for leaf in Sinhala and Vedda (although others suggest
2175-524: The "father of the nation". Senanayake refused a knighthood, but maintained good relations with Britain and was a Privy Counsellor . He launched major irrigation and hydro-power projects such as the Gal Oya project (which relocated over 250,000 people), Udawalawa tank , Senanayaka tank, and several other multipurpose projects. He also renovated historic sites in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa and played
2250-464: The 13th century CE, recognised a category of words that exclusively belonged to early Sinhala. The grammar lists naram̆ba (to see) and koḷom̆ba (fort or harbour) as belonging to an indigenous source. Koḷom̆ba is the source of the name of the commercial capital Colombo . The consistent left branching syntax and the loss of aspirated stops in Sinhala is attributed to a probable South Dravidian substratum effect. This has been explained by
2325-542: The 13th. However, on the morning of 13 July, Rajapaksa fled the country, accompanied by his spouse and a personal security detail, to the Maldives . The Speaker of Parliament announced in the afternoon that President Rajapaksa appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as acting president in his absence. Protesters stormed the office of the Prime Minister demanding his resignation. The next day, Rajapaksa emailed
United National Party - Misplaced Pages Continue
2400-568: The 1980s, the population of Christians was mostly concentrated in the northwest of Sri Lanka and in the capital where they are 10% of the population. Of these Christians, over 80% are Roman Catholics while the rest are predominantly Anglicans, Methodists and other Protestants. Adherents of the Baháʼí Faith have been present in Sri Lanka since 1949. The first Baháʼí resident in Colombo was a physician from India, M.E. Lukmani. Its population grew in
2475-416: The 2015 general elections and Wickremesinghe was appointed prime minister. UNP signed a memorandum of understanding with SLFP for a national unity government , and Wickremesinghe made cabinet appointments from both parties. The unity government would last for at least 2 years, in order to address unresolved issues from the 30-year Sri Lanka Civil War. Wickremesinghe asked parliament for permission to exceed
2550-476: The 40.47% of the SLPP and the 12.10% of the SLFP. In the 2019 presidential election , the UNP nominated Sajith Premadasa as its candidate after much delay due to internal conflicts. Premadasa was defeated by Gotabaya Rajapaksa , who gained 52.25% of the votes against 41.99% by Premadasa. Premadasa was chosen by the party to serve as opposition leader until fresh elections were called in April 2020. The party had
2625-616: The Board of Investment, the Ministry for Small and Rural Enterprises, and the Information Communication Technology Agency. Economic growth continued to accelerate, reaching almost 6% at the end of 2003, while inflation was at an all-time low of under 2%. Many local and foreign experts believed that Sri Lanka could reach double-digit economic growth within a few years. However, cease-fire breaches by
2700-638: The Central Highlands and to the east coast. In modern times, Muslims in Sri Lanka have the Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Department, which was established in the 1980s to prevent the continual isolation of the Muslim community from the rest of Sri Lanka. Today, about 9.7% of Sri Lankans adhere to Islam; mostly from the Moor and Malay ethnic communities on the island. According to
2775-716: The Eastern Prakrits prior to this change. He cites the edicts of Ashoka , no copy of which shows this sound change. An example of an Eastern feature is the ending -e for masculine nominative singular (instead of Western -o ) in Sinhalese Prakrit. There are several cases of vocabulary doublets , one example being the words mæssā ("fly") and mækkā ("flea"), which both correspond to Sanskrit makṣikā but stem from two regionally different Prakrit words macchiā (Western Prakrits) and makkhikā (as in Eastern Prakrits like Pali ). In 1815,
2850-500: The King Devanampiya Tissa. From then on, the royal families had helped to encourage the spread of Buddhism, aiding Buddhist missionaries and building monasteries. Around 200 BCE, Buddhism became the official religion of Sri Lanka. The Sacred Tooth Relic was brought to Sri Lanka in 4th century by Prince Danta and Princess Hemamala. Sri Lanka has the longest continuous history of Buddhism of any Buddhist nation. During
2925-791: The LTTE, including the constant stream of assassinations of military spies, emboldedend nationalistic and extremist factions such as the JVP and its cover organizations to organise protests. They tried to convince the public that Wickremesinghe was giving too much away to the LTTE. Hardline Sinhalese Buddhist organizations such as the Sinhala Urumaya (Sinhalese Heritage) criticized the government for this and for allegedly pandering to western evangelical Christian organizations, endangering Buddhism. The Sinhala Urumaya later rename themselves as Jathika Hela Urumaya (National Sinhalese Heritage) and put forward Buddhist monks to contest elections. In late 2003
3000-602: The Left. In July 1951, long-standing UNP stalwart Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike , a Buddhist nationalist leader known for his centre-left views, quit the UNP to found the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) as a balancing force between the UNP and Marxist parties. In March 1952, Prime Minister Senanayake died in a riding accident and was succeeded by his son Dudley Senanayake . During his tenure, Dudley Senanayake launched several projects to further develop
3075-469: The SLFP to victory in the 1956 elections, while the UNP returned only eight members to parliament. Kotelawala stepped down as party leader and went into self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom . Bandaranaike passed the controversial Sinhala Only Act , which led to communal clashes in 1958. Dudley Senanayake retook party leadership, and the UNP held power for three months in 1960 . The UNP entered
United National Party - Misplaced Pages Continue
3150-604: The administration to Divisional Secretariats. He also created the National Housing Development Authority, Urban Development Authority, Central Environmental Authority, Janasaviya Trust Fund, Housing Development Finance Corporation and the Institute for Construction Training and Development. Despite these developments, many of his political enemies "disappeared" during his reign, most notably the journalist Richard de Zoysa . In 1993, Premadasa
3225-431: The agricultural sector and was termed "Bath Dun Piya" (English: the father who offered free rice to the nation). To improve the agricultural sector, he created Bathalegoda Paddy research centre, Thalawakele Tea research centre and Lunuwila Coconut research centre. He also founded Moratuwa University , Ampara Higher Technology Institution, and many technical colleges. During this period, Bhikku University commenced and Poya
3300-681: The chronicle Mahāvaṃsa , written in Pali, Prince Vijaya of the Vanga Kingdom and his entourage merged in Sri Lanka with later settlers from the Pandya kingdom . In the following centuries, there was substantial immigration from Eastern India, including additional migration from the Vanga Kingdom (Bengal), as well as Kalinga and Magadha . This influx led to an admixture of features of Eastern Prakrits. The development of Sinhala
3375-425: The constitutional limitation of 30 cabinet ministers. This motion was approved by the parliament with 143 in favour, 16 against and 63 absent. The popularity of the government declined, and UNP suffered a defeat in the 2018 local authority elections . They were only able to secure 34 of 340 councils while Mahinda Rajapaksa 's proxy Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) won 231 councils. UNP secured only 29.42% against
3450-583: The early 19th century, when the British took control of Sri Lanka from the Dutch. Under British rule missionary work was undertaken by English societies: Baptist, Wesleyan Methodist, the CMS and SPG. The Salvation Army and Jehovah's Witnesses are also present in Sri Lanka. The percentage of Christians has slowly declined from the height of 13% in 1891 they were 12.6% and numbered were 302,000. In 2012 they 7.4%. By
3525-540: The features that may be traced to Dravidian influence are: ඒක ēka it අලුත් aḷut new කියලා kiyalā having-said මම mama I දන්නවා dannavā know ඒක අලුත් කියලා මම දන්නවා ēka aḷut kiyalā mama dannavā it new having-said I know "I know that it is new." ඒක ēka it අලුත් aḷut new ද da Q කියලා kiyalā having-said මම mama I දන්නේ Religion in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka
3600-607: The island of Ceylon came under British rule . During the career of Christopher Reynolds as a Sinhalese lecturer at the School of African and Oriental Studies, University of London , he extensively researched the Sinhalese language and its pre-1815 literature. The Sri Lankan government awarded him the Sri Lanka Ranjana medal for his work. He wrote the 377-page An anthology of Sinhalese literature up to 1815 , selected by
3675-611: The line of succession after Yogaswami was Sivaya Subramuniyaswami . By the 7th century, Arab traders had controlled much of the trade on the Indian Ocean , including that of Sri Lanka's. Many of these traders settled down in Sri Lanka, encouraging the spread of Islam . However, when the Portuguese arrived at Sri Lanka during the 16th century, many of the Arabs' Muslim descendants were persecuted, thus forcing them to migrate to
3750-720: The majority Sinhalese community and minority Tamil and Muslim communities. Senanayake had earlier resigned from the Ceylon National Congress due to its revised aim in achieving independence from the British Empire . The UNP represented the business community and the landed gentry, though Senanayake appealed to landless people by adopting populist policies. His agricultural policies allowed many landless people to relocate under productive colonization schemes, which resulted in Sri Lankan agricultural production rising. Senanayake became popular enough to be called
3825-461: The mid 18th century the higher ordination of Buddhist monks known as Upasampada, which was defunct at the time, was revived with the help of Siamese Buddhist monks on the initiatives taken by Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thero during the reign of king Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Kandy . By the mid-19th century, Buddhist leaders such as Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera , Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera , Colonel Henry Steel Olcott and Anagarika Dharmapala started
SECTION 50
#17327655781003900-742: The mission to Sri Lanka in 246 BCE when he converted the Sri Lankan king, Devanampiya Tissa , to Buddhism. Arahath Sanghamitra , daughter of King Ashoka, brought a sapling of the Bodhi tree in Buddha Gaya to Sri Lanka. She also established the Order of Nuns in Sri Lanka. The Sapling of the Bodhi tree, known as Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi was planted in the Mahameghavana Park in Anuradhapura by
3975-567: The new administrative capital in Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte , where a new Parliament Building was constructed. In schools, the Mahapola scholarship programme was launched, free school books were provided, and information technology was introduced. Jayawardene's administration created the University of Ruhuna and Eastern University as well as the medical faculty of Jaffna university . Bandaranayake International Airport
4050-399: The numbers are italic, which are from 1981 census. Population movements have occurred after 1981, and accurate statistics did not exist for districts which were not covered in 2001 census until the 2011 census. Theravada Buddhism is the official religion of Sri Lanka, with about 70.2% of the country's population as followers. Arahath Mahinda , son of Indian Buddhist emperor Ashoka , led
4125-746: The party launched its e-membership program. The party planned to increase membership by 20% with support from the Google Play and Apple Store online apps. The United National Party has had seven leaders since 1947. Ranil Wickremesinghe has been the leader of the party since 1994. Below are a few notable deputy leaders of the party. Sinhala language Sinhala ( / ˈ s ɪ n h ə l ə , ˈ s ɪ ŋ ə l ə / SIN -hə-lə, SING -ə-lə ; Sinhala: සිංහල , siṁhala , [ˈsiŋɦələ] ), sometimes called Sinhalese ( / ˌ s ɪ n ( h ) ə ˈ l iː z , ˌ s ɪ ŋ ( ɡ ) ə ˈ l iː z / SIN -(h)ə- LEEZ , SING -(g)ə- LEEZ ),
4200-580: The party would wait with appointing the sole national seat until the new leader would be selected so that he or she could be represented in parliament. However, he failed to follow up on his original statements and Wickremesinghe continuously postponed the decision on the two positions. Ultimately, he remained party leader and also took the sole parliamentary seat for himself in June 2021. 1. Resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa 2. Accountability for corruption 3. Economic reforms 4. Access to essential services 5. Political reforms 6. Youth participation Due to
4275-416: The party. On a platform of peace with LTTE and economic resurgence, the UNP returned to power in the 2001 election, taking all but one district. Wickremesinghe became prime minister of a "co-habitation" government with President Kumaratunga. Within two months into his premiership, Wickremesinghe signed a pivotal ceasefire agreement with the LTTE. The agreement was followed by intense peace negotiations towards
4350-450: The periods 1947–1956, 1965–1970, 1977–1994, 2001–2004 and 2015–2019. The party also controlled the executive presidency from its formation in 1978 until 1994 and again from 2022 to 2024. The UNP has been led by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe since 1994. The party is a member of the International Democracy Union . The UNP was founded by Don Stephen Senanayake in 1946 by amalgamating three right-leaning, pro-dominion parties from
4425-499: The periods of decline, the Sri Lankan monastic lineage was revived through contacts with Myanmar and Thailand . Later on, however, Hindu invasions and European colonial influences contributed to the decline of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. But toward the end of the European colonial period and during the post-colonial period, Buddhism has regained prominence in Sri Lanka. As of the 1881 census, 61.57% of Sri Lankans followed Buddhism. That number has steadily increased to 70.2% as of 2012. In
4500-416: The popular vote in an election which saw a record turnout of 81.52%. Sirisena was sworn in as executive president while Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as prime minister. Over 70% of the ministerial posts in the Sirisena cabinet went to the UNP and Minister Lakshman Kiriella was appointed the leader of the house. The new government presented a budget to parliament two weeks later, giving benefits including
4575-461: The population of Christians in Sri Lanka didn't dramatically increase until the arrival of Portuguese missionaries during the 15th century. In the 17th century, the Dutch took over Sri Lanka and Dutch missionaries were able to convert 21% of Sri Lanka's population to Christianity by 1622. In 1796 the Dutch were displaced by the British and in 1802 Ceylon became a Crown colony. Anglican and other Protestant missionaries arrived at Sri Lanka during
SECTION 60
#17327655781004650-419: The president took over the National Lotteries Board. The UNP blocked this move by surrounding the government press so that the gazette could not be printed. As a retaliatory move, the president then took over the ministries of Mass Communications, Defence, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, while Prime Minister Wickremesinghe was visiting George W. Bush in Washington DC. Kumaratunga and her confidants launched
4725-562: The press as 'crossovers' , also resulted in a state where a number of senior officials expressed concern over the 'jumbo cabinet'. On 9 February 2007, the president sacked three ministers for their remarks against the new political configuration. UNP and twelve other opposition parties in parliament signed an opposition alliance on 3 November 2009. After winning the 30-year long war against LTTE in 2009, President Rajapaksa called for an early presidential election in 2010 . UNP and JVP backed General Sarath Fonseka as presidential candidate. This
4800-413: The second preferences count concluded, Anura Kumara Dissanayake was declared the 9th Executive President of Sri Lanka. Wickremesinghe left the Presidential Secretariat on 23 September 2024, allowing for a peaceful transition of power to Dissanayake, who succeeded him as President. He also stated that he would not run for reelection again following his defeat, as part of the UNP tradition. On 23 June 2016,
4875-404: The subsequent election on 2 April 2004, the UNP was defeated by the UPFA. Wickremesinghe remained as leader of the UNP. In the presidential election of 17 November 2005, Wickremesinghe, came second with 48.43% of the vote. It is widely believed that if not for the boycott of the polls in the North and parts of the East, allegedly due to LTTE intimidation, Wickramsinghe would have won, though he
4950-502: The votes and secured a 145-seat parliamentary majority, while the SJB gained 23.90% votes and 54 seats. The UNP suffered its worst defeat, receiving only 2.15% of votes cast. For the first time, it almost failed to win a single seat in parliament, having only gained one national list seat . Following the party's defeat in the parliamentary elections, Wickremesinghe indicated on several occasions his willingness to step down as party leader after serving for more than 25 years. He declared that
5025-450: The worsening economic crisis and widespread protests in 2022 , Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who wished to form a government of national unity, invited Wickremesinghe to once again assume the office of Prime Minister as a reconciliatory effort towards the opposition. The relevant parties represented in parliament, Samagi Jana Banawegaya and Tamil National Alliance, refused to take up portfolios in such
5100-455: Was assassinated by LTTE suicide cadres at a May Day rally. In the 1994 election, the People's Alliance gained control of parliament after 17 years of unbroken UNP rule. While in opposition, many of UNP stalwarts were killed by an LTTE suicide terrorist attack including presidential candidate Gamini Dissanayake . Party leadership was passed to Jayewardene's nephew, Ranil Wickremesinghe , a relatively young politician with pro-western views and
5175-420: Was declared a government-recognized holiday. The UNP attempted to reduce the rice ration, resulting in the 1953 Hartal (general strike and protest), which led to the resignation of Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake. He was succeeded by his cousin, Colonel Sir John Kotelawala , who launched several major power generation and infrastructure projects. These include: the Lakshapana hydropower project; Bambalapitiya,
5250-709: Was elected president by Parliament and, in 1978, introduced a new constitution which transformed the presidency into an executive post with sweeping powers. The UNP opened the economy and made sweeping policy changes. Free-trade zones such as in Katunayaka and Biyagama attracted foreign investment and generated employment. The government undertook massive development work to promote hydroelectricity and agriculture. Reservoirs were built at Victoria , Randenigala , Rantambe and Kotmale , while Maduru Oya and Lunugamwehera reservoirs were reconstructed. He awarded "Swarnabhoomi" land deeds to people and established administration centres such as Isurupaya and Sethsiripaya to create
5325-436: Was modernized and Air Lanka was created. He also modernized the military and created the Police Special Task Force. By 1987, the Sri Lankan military had cornered the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Jaffna and were confident of bringing an end to the civil war . However, due to internal pressure, airdropped supplies to the besieged LTTE. Jayewardene retired in 1988 and was succeeded by Ranasinghe Premadasa ,
5400-693: Was nicknamed as "Yankee Dickey". During the tenure of Dudley Senanayake, English education was made compulsory. After Dudley Senanayake's death in 1973, Jayewardene became the leader of the UNP and reorganized the party at the grassroots level. The United Front faced general disaffection from its economic policies and its brutal crackdown against a 1971 Marxist–Leninist insurrection by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). The UNP, which promised each person with an 8-pound (3.6 kg) cereal ration, returned to power in 1977 with an unprecedented five-sixths majority in parliament. Jayewardene
5475-504: Was the first time UNP backed a non-UNP member for president. However, Rajapaksa won the election with 57.88% of the popular vote. In April, Rajapaksa called for a general election and UPFA won a majority of 144 seats while UNF received 60 seats. President Rajapaksa, seeking a third term, called for an early election in 2015. UNP and several other parties backed SLFP's general secretary and health minister, Maithripala Sirisena , as common candidate. Sirisena emerged victorious with 51.28% of
5550-669: Was the official satguru and counseling sage of Lanka's several million Tamil Hindu population. The Ramakrishna Mission is somewhat active in the Amparai and Batticaloa districts while the Shaiva Siddhanta school of philosophy of Shaivism sect of Hinduism is prevalent in the North of Sri Lanka. Yogaswami belonged to the Shaiva Siddhanta and he was 161st head of the Nandinatha Sampradaya . The next person in
5625-543: Was unable to gain the trust of the bulk of the majority Sinhalese community. In early 2007, 18 senior members of the UNP joined President Mahinda Rajapaksa 's ruling coalition, receiving ministerial positions. This resulted in a state of political unrest, as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the President and the UNP leader in late 2006 was read as no longer valid. This incident, generally recorded in
#99900