| Honorific-Prefix: | Hon. |
| Dinesh Gunawardena | |
| Native Name: | |
| Office: | 15th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka |
| President: | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
| Term Start: | 22 July 2022 |
| Term End: | 23 September 2024 |
| Predecessor: | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
| Successor: | Harini Amarasuriya |
| Office1: | Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government |
| President1: | Gotabaya Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe |
| Primeminister1: | Mahinda Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe Himself |
| Term Start1: | 18 April 2022 |
| Term End1: | 23 September 2024 |
| Predecessor1: | Janaka Bandara Tennakoon |
| Office2: | Minister of Education |
| President2: | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Primeminister2: | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Term Start2: | 16 August 2021 |
| Term End2: | 18 April 2022 |
| Predecessor2: | G. L. Peiris |
| Successor2: | Ramesh Pathirana[1] |
| Office3: | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| President3: | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Primeminister3: | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Term Start3: | 22 November 2019 |
| Term End3: | 16 August 2021 |
| Predecessor3: | Tilak Marapana |
| Successor3: | G. L. Peiris |
| Office4: | Minister of Water Supply and Drainage |
| Term Start4: | April 2010 |
| Term End4: | 12 January 2015 |
| Predecessor4: | A. L. M. Athaullah |
| Successor4: | Rauff Hakeem |
| Office5: | Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply |
| Term Start5: | April 2004 |
| Term End5: | April 2010 |
| Predecessor5: | Gamini Atukorale |
| Successor5: | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Office6: | Deputy Minister of Education of Sri Lanka |
| Term Start6: | April 2004 |
| Term End6: | January 2007 |
| Successor6: | M. Satchithanandan |
| Office7: | Minister of Transport of Sri Lanka |
| Term Start7: | October 2000 |
| Term End7: | December 2001 |
| Predecessor7: | Srimani Athulathmudali |
| Successor7: | Gamini Atukorale |
| Office8: | Leader of the House |
| President8: | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Primeminister8: | Mahinda Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe Himself |
| Term Start8: | 3 January 2020 |
| Term End8: | 27 July 2022 |
| Predecessor8: | Lakshman Kiriella |
| Successor8: | Susil Premajayantha |
| Office9: | Chief Government Whip |
| Term Start9: | 17 June 2008 |
| Term End9: | 20 January 2015 |
| Predecessor9: | Jeyaraj Fernandopulle |
| Successor9: | Gayantha Karunathilaka |
| Office10: | President of Mahajana Eksath Peramuna |
| Term Start10: | 1972 |
| Predecessor10: | Philip Gunawardena |
| Office11: | Leader of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna |
| Term Start11: | July 2022 |
| Term End11: | 15 December 2023 |
| Predecessor11: | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Successor11: | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Office12: | Member of Parliament |
| Term Start12: | 10 October 2000 |
| Term End12: | 24 September 2024 |
| Constituency12: | Colombo |
| Term Start13: | 18 May 1983[2] |
| Term End13: | 16 August 1994 |
| Constituency13: | Maharagama (1983–1989) Colombo (1989–1994) |
| Predecessor14: | Premarathne Gunasekera |
| Birth Date: | 2 March 1949 |
| Birth Place: | Colombo, Dominion of Ceylon |
| Party: | Mahajana Eksath Peramuna |
| Otherparty: | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance |
| Alma Mater: | Royal College Colombo, University of Oregon |
| Occupation: | Trade unionist |
Dinesh Chandra Rupasinghe Gunawardena (si|දිනේෂ් චන්ද්ර රූපසිංහ ගුණවර්ධන, ta|தினேஷ் சந்திர ரூபசிங்க குணவர்தன; born 2 March 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician who served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 2022 to 2024. He also held the positions of Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government. Gunawardena has been leader of the left-wing Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) party since 1983, was briefly the de facto leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna from 2022 to 2023,[3] and has taken cabinet positions under several previous governments, including Leader of the House from 2020 until 2022.
Born in a political family, the son of Philip Gunawardena and Kusumasiri Gunawardena, and nephew of Vivienne Goonewardene, he was educated at Royal College, Colombo and later at the University of Oregon, where he advocated pacifism in the Vietnam War. Entering politics in 1983 as a Member of Parliament from Maharagama and later Colombo, his first role in government was as Minister of Transport under Ratnasiri Wickremanayake.
In 2022, Gunawardena was appointed the Prime Minister after former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned amidst the ongoing economic crisis and Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as his successor. In September 2024, Gunawardena resigned.[4]
Gunawardena was born into the political Gunawardena family on 2 March 1949.[5] [6] His father, Philip Gunawardena, was known as "the Father of Sri Lankan socialism" and a key independence figure, and his mother, Kusumasiri Gunawardena, was a member of parliament. His aunt, Vivienne Goonewardene, was often considered the "foremost female figure in the Sri Lankan left".[7]
Educated at Royal Primary School, Colombo and Royal College, Colombo, he went on to study at the Netherlands School of Business.[8] [9] [10] He also graduated with a B.B.A. from the University of Oregon, and whilst in the United States, became involved in student activism, taking part in anti-Vietnam War protests.
Gunawardena later married Ramani Wathsala Kotelawela from the Kotelawela/Jayawardena family; who is the niece of General Sir John Kotelawela, the third Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.[11] [12] They had one son, Yadamini, and one daughter, Sankapali. Ramani died of undiagnosed hepatitis in the mid-1980s.
After graduation from the University of Oregon, Gunawardena worked in New York City, but returned to Sri Lanka in 1972 after his father's death. He was appointed to the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna's (MEP) central committee in August 1973, and became general-secretary of the MEP in 1974.
Gunawardena was the MEP's candidate in Avissawella at the 1977 parliamentary election, but failed to get elected until he ran as the MEP's candidate in the Maharagama Electoral District at the 1983 by-election, winning and entering Parliament.[13] [14] During the 1989 parliamentary election, Gunawardena successfully ran as one of the MEP's candidates in the multi-member Colombo Electoral District.[15] He was again one of the MEP's candidates in Colombo District at the 1994 parliamentary election, but the MEP failed to win any seats in Parliament.
On 27 August 2000, the MEP joined the People's Alliance (PA).[16] Gunawardena contested the 2000 parliamentary election as one of the PA's candidates in Colombo District. He was elected and re-entered Parliament.[17]
Following the 2000 election, he was appointed Minister of Transport, and was given the additional portfolio of Environment in September 2001.[18] [19] He was re-elected at the 2001 parliamentary election.[20]
On 20 January 2004 the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) formed the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), which the MEP joined on 2 February 2004.[21] [22] Gunawardena contested the 2004 parliamentary election as one of the UPFA's candidates in Colombo District. He was elected and re-entered Parliament.[23] He was appointed Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply and Deputy Minister of Education after the election.[24] [25] In January 2007 his cabinet portfolio was changed to Minister of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development but he lost his deputy ministerial position.[26] [27] He was appointed Chief Government Whip in June 2008.[28]
Gunawardena was re-elected in the 2010 parliamentary election, following which he was appointed Minister of Water Supply.[29] [30] [31] He lost his cabinet position following the 2015 presidential election, albeit being re-elected.[32] [33] In March 2017 he was suspended from parliamentary sittings for one week due to repeatedly disrupting proceedings.[34]
On 22 July 2022, Gunawardena was appointed Prime Minister after former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned amidst the ongoing economic and political crises and Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as his successor by Parliament. Gunawardena and Wickremesinghe were classmates during school days.[35]
On 23 September 2024, following Wickremesinghe's defeat in the presidential elections and the inauguration of his successor, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Gunawardena resigned from the position of prime minister.
| Constituency | scope=col | Party | scope=col | Alliance | scope=col | Votes | scope=col | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not elected | ||||||||
| 1983 parliamentary by | Elected | |||||||
| Elected | ||||||||
| Not elected | ||||||||
| Elected | ||||||||
| Elected | ||||||||
| Elected | ||||||||
| Elected | ||||||||
| 2015 parliamentary[36] | Elected | |||||||
| 2020 parliamentary[37] | SLPFA | Elected |