Anura Kumara Dissanayake
Anura Kumara Dissanayake
President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri
Lanka
Dissanayake Mudyanselage Anura Kumara Dissanayake
was born on November 24, 1968, in the village of
Dewahuwa, Matale, to Dissanayake Mudyanselage
Ranbanda, a surveyor’s assistant, and Seelawathi. He is
the second child in the family.
Dissanayake began his education at Thambuttegama
Primary School and later attended Thambuttegama
Madhya Maha Vidyalaya, where he sat for the A-Level
exams in the Science Mathematics stream. In 1992, he
qualified for university and was accepted into the
Faculty of Science at the University of Kelaniya. During
his time at university, he was actively involved in social
and political activities, including serving as president of
the University Buddhist Association. He graduated with
a Bachelor of Science degree in 1995.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake is widely regarded as one of
the most dynamic and prominent political leaders to
emerge in Sri Lanka, largely due to his rise from outside
the traditional political elite. He navigated numerous
challenges within the progressive and populist political
movement to make his mark on the national stage. His
political journey began as a student, becoming active in
1987 when he joined the Socialist Students’ Union and
participated in widespread protests against the Indo-
Lanka Accord signed by the government at the time.
After the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) re-emerged
from significant state repression, Dissanayake returned
to active politics in 1993, establishing himself as a key
student activist during his university years. With
unwavering dedication, he worked to rebuild the
Socialist Students’ Union, affiliated with the JVP, gaining
widespread popularity across the university community
under the name “Aravinda.”
In 1997, his efforts were recognized when he was
appointed National Organizer of the Socialist Students’
Union, marking a pivotal moment in his political career.
The same year, he was elected to the Central
Committee of the JVP, and in 1998, he was further
elevated to the party’s Political Bureau, cementing his
role in the leadership of the party.
In the 1999 provincial council elections, Anura Kumara
Dissanayake contested for the Central Provincial Council
as the chief ministerial candidate for the Janata Vimukti
Peramuna, marking his first significant foray into mass
politics. He was elected to Parliament for the first time
in the 2000 general election, running from the national
list.
In 2001, Dissanayake played a pivotal role in the
adoption of the 17th Constitution, successfully
influencing a weakened government to implement a
probationary program that included populist measures
such as reducing farmers’ loans. In 2004, he was
elected to Parliament representing the Kurunegala
district, receiving the highest number of preferential
votes. He was widely recognized for his service as
Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Irrigation, and Livestock
in the United People’s Freedom Alliance government
established that same year. However, the Janata
Vimukti Peramuna withdrew from the coalition
government, citing concerns that the establishment of a
Tsunami Relief Board would exacerbate separatism.
In 2008, Dissanayake became the leader of the JVP
parliamentary group. He was re-elected to Parliament in
2010 as a member of the National List, representing the
Democratic National Alliance, which includes the
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.
His political journey took a significant turn when he was
elected as the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
during the 7th National Congress on February 2, 2014.
Under his leadership, the party entered a new phase of
popularization. He contested the 2015 general election
from the Colombo district, securing a seat in Parliament.
Dissanayake served as the chief organizer of the
opposition in the Sri Lankan Parliament from 2015 until
December 14, 2018.
In August 2019, he helped establish a new political
movement called the National People’s Power, uniting
various political parties, civil organizations, and
activists, including the Janatha Vimukti Peramuna. This
initiative quickly gained support from citizens
disenchanted with traditional political parties.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the candidate of the
Jathika Jana Balawegaya (NPP) in the 2019 presidential
election, garnered 3.16% of the votes, totaling 418,553
in a highly competitive race. He was subsequently re-
elected to Parliament in the 2020 general election.
In response to the ongoing economic crisis,
Dissanayake played a crucial role in transforming the
Jathika Jana Balawegaya (NPP) into the largest
progressive mass movement in Sri Lankan political
history. He demonstrated remarkable courage and
dedication in rallying support around this initiative. On
December 20, 2021, at the inaugural National
Conference of the National People’s Power, he was
elected as its leader, with a mission to unite progressive
individuals and foster collaboration within the
movement.
Dissanayake contested as the Jathika Jana Balawegaya
(NPP) candidate for the 2024 presidential election. He
has articulated a vision for a new renaissance for the
nation, promising to introduce a new political culture
that addresses the challenges faced by the people amid
the economic crisis. His leadership is characterized by a
strong political vision, sound decision-making,
compelling communication skills, empathy, adaptability,
and eloquence, which have resonated with the
electorate. The public’s response indicates that they
understand and support his message.
Harini Amarasuriya
Dr. Harini Amarasuriya
Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of
Sri Lanka
Dr. Harini Amarasuriya was sworn-in as the 16th Prime
Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri
Lanka on 24.09.2024. She was nominated by the
National People’s Power coalition to the 9th Parliament
of Sri Lanka in August 2020.
Dr. Amarasuriya is a prominent Sri Lankan academic,
activist, and politician born on March 6, 1970, in
Colombo, Sri Lanka. Her multifaceted career spans
academia, social activism, and politics, with a focus on
youth issues, human rights, and social development.
For the past decade, Dr. Amarasuriya served as a senior
lecturer in Sociology at the Open University of Sri
Lanka. In addition to her teaching responsibilities and
revision of social science curricula, she was actively
involved in administrative leadership roles at the
University and also served as a Member of the
University Grants Commission Standing Committee on
Gender Equality and Equity since 2016. She was
Secretary of the Open University Teachers Association
(2012 & 2013) and the Assistant Secretary (2014 &
2015) and Secretary (2016) of the Federation of
University Teachers Association, and was deeply
involved in campaigning for increased funding
commitments to education within the national budget.
As a researcher, Dr. Amarasuriya has published on elite
politics, dissent, social justice, discrimination and social
exclusion of youth, women headed households, child
labour, institutionalised child-care, early marriage, well-
being, education research and intellectual property. In
2014, Dr. Amarasuriya was the lead author on the
National Human Development Report for Sri Lanka, and
also participated in drafting the National Youth Policy of
Sri Lanka that year.
In 2016, Dr. Amarasuriya served as a member of the
Public Representations Committee on Constitutional
Reforms in Sri Lanka (PRC) which was a Cabinet-
appointed mechanism tasked with the first country-wide
public consultations on constitutional reform, which
were reported to Parliament.
Dr. Amarasuriya received her early education at
Bishop's College, Colombo and pursued higher
education abroad. She received a Bachelors degree in
Sociology from the University of Delhi, and read for a
Master of Arts in Applied Anthropology and
Development Studies at the Macquarie University,
Sydney, Australia where her dissertation was on female
migrant workers. In 2011 she wrote her doctoral thesis
on child protection in Sri Lanka, and received a PhD in
Social Anthropology and International Health and
Development from the University of Edinburgh and
Queen Margaret University.
Dr. Amarasuriya’s early career involved working with
services for community health, social care and inclusion
of persons with mental illness, children in state and
voluntary children’s homes, certified homes and places
of detention, persons living with HIV/AIDS, especially in
the districts of Gampaha, Galle, Colombo, Hambantota,
Ampara and Mannar.
Dr. Amarasuriya also served for several years on the
Boards of Nest, a Sri Lankan community health
organization, CENWOR, a research organization working
on women and gender issues in Sri Lanka, and Law and
Society Trust, a research organization working on law
and social issues in Sri Lanka.
