Ranil Wickremesinghe

Ranil Wickremesinghe, born on March 24, 1949, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, is a veteran Sri Lankan politician who served as the 8th President of Sri Lanka from July 2022 to September 2024. A member of the United National Party (UNP), Wickremesinghe has been one of the most prominent figures in Sri Lankan politics for over four decades. He previously served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka six times, making him one of the longest-serving prime ministers in the country's history. He assumed the presidency during the 2022 economic crisis and was credited with stabilizing the Sri Lankan economy through IMF negotiations and structural reforms. Wickremesinghe studied law at the University of Colombo and is a qualified advocate. He is the nephew of former President J.R. Jayewardene. His political career spans from 1977 when he was first elected to parliament.