State-sponsored funeral for Former PM

The funeral of veteran politician Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, who passed away yesterday, will be held with full State-sponsorship, the Government announced. The SLFP politician who held the Prime Minister’s office twice passed away at the age of 83. 

Wickremanayake quit politics in 2010 due to ill health. Wickremanayake first entered Parliament in 1960, winning the Horana electorate as a candidate of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP). Thereafter he joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

In a political career spanning nearly five decades, Wickremanayake went on to become the Prime Minister twice, first under President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga from 2000-2001 and later under President Mahinda Rajapaksa from 2005-2010.

Wickremanayake also held numerous other positions including the posts of Minister of Public Administration, Homes Affairs and Plantation Industries, Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition. He was a member of the Western Provincial Council in 1993.