Topzle Updated: Wikipedia source
The president of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the chief executive of Sri Lanka. The president is a dominant political figure in the country. The office was created in 1972, as more of a ceremonial position. It was empowered with executive powers by the 1978 Constitution introduced by J. R. Jayewardene.
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) Home province | Term of office Electoral mandates Time in office | Other ministerial offices held while president | Party (Alliance) | Government | Ref. | |||
| Non-Executive President (1972–1978) | ||||||||||
| 1 | | William Gopallawa විලියම් ගොපල්ලව வில்லியம் கோபள்ளவா (1896–1981) Central | 22 May 1972 | 4 February 1978 | Independent | Sirimavo Bandaranaike II | 10th | |||
| — | ||||||||||
| 5 years, 8 months and 13 days | ||||||||||
| Served as the last Governor-General of Ceylon and the first non-executive president when Ceylon declared itself a republic in 1972 and changed its name to Sri Lanka. | ||||||||||
| Executive President of Sri Lanka (1978–present) | ||||||||||
| 2 | | Junius Richard Jayewardene ජුනියස් රිචඩ් ජයවර්ධන ஜூனியஸ் ரிச்சட் ஜயவர்தனா (1906–1996) Western | 4 February 1978 | 2 January 1989 | Minister of Defence Minister of Planning & Economic Affairs Minister of Plan Implementation Minister of Higher Education | United National Party | Jayewardene | 11th 12th | ||
| 1982 | ||||||||||
| 10 years, 11 months and 29 days | ||||||||||
| Introduced the executive presidency in 1978, and assumed the position of president of Sri Lanka. | ||||||||||
| 3 | | Sri Lankabhimanya Ranasinghe Premadasa රණසිංහ ප්රේමදාස ரணசிங்க பிரேமதாசா (1924–1993) Western | 2 January 1989 | 1 May 1993† | Minister of Defence Minister of Buddha Sasana Minister of Policy Planning & Implementation | United National Party | Premadasa | 13th | ||
| 1988 | ||||||||||
| 4 years and 4 months | ||||||||||
| Assassinated during a May Day rally by an LTTE suicide bomber. | ||||||||||
| 4 | Sri Lankabhimanya Dingiri Banda Wijetunga ඩිංගිරි බණ්ඩා විජේතුංග டிங்கிரி பண்ட விஜேதுங்க (1916–2008) Central | 1 May 1993 | 7 May 1993 | Minister of Defence Minister of Finance Minister of Buddhist Affairs | United National Party | Wijetunga I | 13th | |||
| 7 May 1993 | 12 November 1994 | |||||||||
| 1993 | Wijetunga II | 14th | ||||||||
| 1 year, 6 months and 10 days | ||||||||||
| Appointed as acting president following Premadasa's assassination. On 7 May 1993 he was elected by Parliament to the office of president under Article 40 of the Constitution. | ||||||||||
| 5 | | Chandrika Kumaratunga චන්ද්රිකා කුමාරතුංග சந்திரிகா பண்டாரநாயக்கே குமாரதுங்கா (born 1945) Western | 12 November 1994 | 19 November 2005 | Minister of Defence (1999–2005) Minister of Education | Sri Lanka Freedom Party (PA) | Kumaratunga | 14th 15th | ||
| 1994, 1999 | 16th | |||||||||
| 11 years and 7 days | 17th | |||||||||
| The first non-UNP president of the country. Victim of multiple assassination attempts by the LTTE, all of which were unsuccessful. | ||||||||||
| 6 | | Mahinda Rajapaksa මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ (born 1945) Southern | 19 November 2005 | 9 January 2015 | Minister of Defence Minister of Finance Minister of Law & Order Minister of Highways, Ports & Shipping | Sri Lanka Freedom Party (UPFA) | Mahinda Rajapaksa | 17th 18th | ||
| 2005, 2010 | ||||||||||
| 9 years, 1 month and 21 days | ||||||||||
| Ended the Sri Lankan civil war with the LTTE. 18th Amendment to the Constitution was instated during his term. Failed to win reelection in 2015. | ||||||||||
| 7 | | Maithripala Sirisena මෛත්රීපාල සිරිසේන மைத்திரிபால சிறிசேன (born 1951) North Central | 9 January 2015 | 18 November 2019 | Minister of Defence Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | Sirisena I | 18th | ||
| 2015 | Sirisena II | 19th | ||||||||
| 4 years, 10 months and 9 days | Sirisena IV | |||||||||
| Defeated Rajapaksa in his unsuccessful bid for a third term. Ran as a candidate of the New Democratic Front with the backing of the UNP. 19th Amendment to the Constitution was instated during his term. | ||||||||||
| 8 | | Gotabaya Rajapaksa ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ கோட்டாபய ராஜபக்ஷ (born 1949) Southern | 18 November 2019 | 14 July 2022 | Minister of Defence Minister of Technology | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPFA) | Rajapaksa I | 19th | ||
| 2019 | Rajapaksa II | 20th | ||||||||
| Rajapaksa III | ||||||||||
| 2 years, 7 months and 26 days | Rajapaksa IV | |||||||||
| Appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister. 20th Amendment to the Constitution was instated during his term. Economic mismanagement led the country to an economic crisis, and a subsequent political crisis when he refused to resign in response to massive anti-government protests. Appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister in May 2022, follo | ||||||||||
| 9 | | Ranil Wickremesinghe රනිල් වික්රමසිංහ ரணில் விக்ரமசிங்க (born 1949) Western | 14 July 2022 | 20 July 2022 | Minister of Defence Minister of Technology Minister of Finance Minister of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment | United National Party | Wickremesinghe | 20th | ||
| 20 July 2022 | 23 September 2024 | |||||||||
| 2022 | ||||||||||
| 2 years, 2 months and 9 days | ||||||||||
| Appointed as acting president following Rajapaksa's resignation. On 20 July 2022 he was elected by Parliament to the office of president under Article 40 of the Constitution. Failed to win reelection in 2024. | ||||||||||
| 10 | | Anura Kumara Dissanayake අනුර කුමාර දිසානායක அநுர குமார திசாநாயக்க (born 1968) Western | 23 September 2024 | Incumbent | Minister of Defence Minister of Finance | Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (NPP) | Dissanayake I | 20th | ||
| 2024 | Dissanayake II | 21st | ||||||||
| 1 year, 7 months and 27 days | ||||||||||
| Defeated Sajith Premadasa and Ranil Wickremesinghe in a three-way contest. | ||||||||||