Maithripala Sirisena

Maithripala Sirisena, born on September 21, 1951, in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka, is a Sri Lankan politician who served as the 7th President of Sri Lanka from 2015 to 2019. He won the 2015 presidential election in a stunning upset, defeating incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa with the support of a broad coalition including the UNP and former allies of Rajapaksa. His presidency focused on good governance, anti-corruption, and constitutional reforms. He attempted to reduce the powers of the executive presidency and introduce a new constitution. His presidency was marked by a controversial attempt to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in October 2018, which was eventually overturned by the Supreme Court. Sirisena was previously a long-time member of the SLFP and served as Minister of Health under Rajapaksa.