Prime Minister of Sri Lanka

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Prime Minister of Sri Lanka ශ්‍රී ලංකා අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය இலங்கை பிரதமர்
Emblem of Sri Lanka
Flag of Sri Lanka
Incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa since 21 November 2019
Style	Mr. Prime Minister (informal) The Honourable (formal and diplomatic)
Member of	Cabinet National Security Council Parliament
Reports to	Parliament
Residence	Temple Trees
Seat	Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte
Nominator	Parliament of Sri Lanka
Appointer	President of Sri Lanka
Term length	Five years
Constituting instrument	Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Precursor	Chief Secretary of Ceylon
Inaugural holder	Don Stephen Senanayake
Formation	14 October 1947; 73 years ago (1947-10-14)
Succession	First in the presidential line of succession
Salary	LKR 858,000 annually (2016)[1][2]
Website	Prime Minister's Office

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The Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the deputy head of the government of Sri Lanka, and the most senior member of parliament in the cabinet of ministers. The Cabinet is collectively held accountable to parliament for their policies and actions.

On 21 November 2019, Mahinda Rajapaksa was appointed as the prime minister for a 3rd term, following the resignation of Ranil Wickremesinghe, upon the election victory of his brother, Gotabaya as the president of Sri Lanka.

Appointment[]

The president will appoint a member of parliament as Prime Minister, who in the president's opinion, "is most likely to command the confidence of Parliament". The prime minister will continue to hold office throughout the period during which the cabinet of ministers continues to function under the provisions of the constitution unless he/she resigns from the post or ceases to be a member of parliament.^[3]

Powers and role[]

Under the Soulbury Constitution the post of Prime Minister was created in 1947 as the head of government in the Westminster system. In 1978, under the second amendment to the Republican Constitution of 1972 much of the powers of the premiership was transferred to the executive presidency as head of government and head of the cabinet of ministers in addition to being the head of state. As a result, the prime minister became a senior most member cabinet of ministers and successor to the president. The prime minister would serve as the deputy to the president if both are from the same political party. In certain occasions, when the president is not from the majority party in parliament or a national government is formed, the prime minister would be appointed from a party different from the president's. In such a situations the prime minister would serve as the de facto head of government.^[3] In 2015, the nineteenth amendment restored certain degree of powers to the premiership.

The prime minister is the second in the order of precedence after the president and head of the cabinet of ministers. The prime minister would be a member of the constitutional council, national security council and the most senior member of the cabinet of ministers.

Head of the cabinet of ministers[]

As head of the cabinet of ministers, the prime minister has the power to:

• Determine the number of Cabinet ministers and ministries and assignment of subjects.
• Determine the number of non-cabinet ministers and ministries and assignment of subjects.

Principal adviser to the president[]

By the constitution, the prime minister holds formal power to advise the president on:

• Appoint, dismiss, or accept the resignation of cabinet and non-cabinet ministers.^[3]
• Change of subjects assigned to cabinet ministers.^[3]

Presidential succession[]

As per the constitution, if the office of president becomes vacant, the prime minister would "act in the office of President during the period between the occurrence of such vacancy and the assumption of office by the new president and shall appoint one of the other ministers of the Cabinet to act in the office of Prime Minister". In such as situation, the office of Prime Minister is vacant or the prime minister is unable to act, the speaker shall act in the office of President.^[3]

The president may appoint the prime minister to exercise, perform and discharge the powers, duties and functions of the office of President for a period during the president is unable to exercise, perform and discharge the powers, duties and functions of his office due to illness, absence from Sri Lanka or any other cause.^[3]

Privileges of office[]

Salary[]

The prime minister would receive a salary (as of 2016) of LKR 800,000 annually paid from the Prime Minister's Office.^{[citation needed]}

Official residence and office[]

The official residence of the prime minister is the Prime Minister's House most commonly referred to as Temple Trees. The prime minister has the use of The Lodge as a vacationing residence in the holiday-town of Nuwara Eliya. The Prime Minister's Office is located in the Sirimathipaya on Sir Ernest de Silva Mawatha (formerly known as Flower Road) in Colombo.

In recent years from time to time, Temple Trees has been by some presidents such as Kumaratunga and Rajapaksa. While certain prime ministers such as Wickremesinghe have chosen to stay at his personal residence.

Travel[]

For ground travel, the prime minister uses the prime ministerial car, which is an armored black Mercedes-Benz S-Class (S600) Pullman Guard. For domestic air travel, helicopters from the No. 4 (VVIP/VIP) Helicopter Squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force are used while for long-distance travel, regular flights of the Sri Lankan Airlines are used.

Security[]

Traditionally security for the prime minister has been provided by the Sri Lanka Police. After the establishment of the office of Prime Minister in 1948, a sub inspector of the Ceylon Police Force had been assigned for personal protection of the prime minister, until S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike dismissed his personal protection officer. When Bandaranaike was assassinated, only a lone police constable stood guard at the entrance of his residence. Following the Bandaranaike assassination, the successive prime ministers received a police guard headed by a sub inspector. This was supplemented by the Army's Field Security Detachment following the 1962 attempted coup d'état and during the 1971 JVP insurrection.^[4] At present the Prime Minister's Security Division is in charge of security of the prime minister.

Order of precedence[]

In the Sri Lankan order of precedence, the prime minister is placed after the president, but before the Speaker of the Parliament.

History[]

The first Prime Minister of Ceylon with his Cabinet members

The post of Prime Minister of Ceylon was created in 1947 as Ceylon gained self-rule with the formation of the Dominion of Ceylon under the recommendations of the Soulbury Commission under the Ceylon Independence Act, 1947 and The Ceylon (Constitution and Independence) Orders in Council 1947.^[5][6] replacing the colonial post of Chief Secretary of Ceylon. The D. S. Senanayake, the leader of the newly formed United National Party became the first Prime Minister. Carrying forward the scope of the former Chief Secretary, the Prime Minister retained the portfolios of External Affairs and Defence as the Minister of External Affairs and Defence.

In 1972 when Sri Lanka became a republic the name of the post changed to Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. With a Westminster-based political system established the prime minister was the head of government therefore held the most powerful political office of the country at the time. This changed with a constitutional change in 1978, when the executive presidency was created, making the president both head of state and head of government. Until 1978, the prime minister was also the minister of defence and external affairs. The prime minister is appointed by the president as a member of the cabinet of ministers. In the event the post president is vacant, the prime minister becomes the acting president until Parliament convenes to elect a successor or new elections could be held to elect a new president. This was the case with H.E. President Dingiri Banda Wijetunge. United National Party leaders Dudley Senanayake and Ranil Wickramasinghe together with Sri Lanka Freedom Party leader Sirimavo Bandaranaike was appointed three times to the position. With the passing of the 19th amendment to the constitution in 2015, the prime minister was granted more powers when appointing ministers and leading the cabinet.

2018 Sri Lankan constitutional crisis[]

On 26 October 2018, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa was appointed by Maithripala Sirisena as the prime minister dismissing incumbent prime minister Ranil Wickremasinghe. Wickremasinghe refused to accept the dismissal stating that it was unconstitutional, resulting in a constitutional crisis.

On 3 December 2018, a court issued an interim order preventing Mahinda Rajapaksha from functioning in the position.^[7] On 16 December 2018, Ranil Wickramasinghe was re-appointed as Prime Minister ending the crisis.^[8]

Last election[]

See also[]

• List of prime ministers of Sri Lanka

References[]

Notes[]

Citations[]

External links[]

• Sri Lankan Prime Minister's Office
• Parliament of Sri Lanka - Handbook of Parliament, Prime Ministers