Leader of the Opposition (Sri Lanka)

In Sri Lanka, the Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the largest political party in Parliament that is not a part of the government. This is usually the leader of the second-largest party in Parliament.

Leader of the Opposition of Sri Lanka
ශ්‍රී ලංකා විපක්ෂ නායක
இலங்கை எதிர்க்கட்சித் தலைவர்
Incumbent
Sajith Premadasa
since 3 January 2020
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerParliament of Sri Lanka
Term lengthWhile leader of the largest political party in Parliament that is not in government
Inaugural holderN. M. Perera
Formation14 October 1947

Leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya Sajith Premadasa has been the incumbent Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament since 3 January 2020. He was officially sworn in on 20 August 2020, after the Speaker announced his appointment in parliament.[1][2]

Privileges of office

Salary

In 2016, the Leader of the Opposition received a salary month and other entitlements of a Member of Parliament.[3]

Other privileges

The leader of the opposition is entitled to an official residence, office, transport and security equal that of a Cabinet Minister.[4][5]

Order of precedence

In the Sri Lankan order of precedence, the leader of the opposition is ranked at the level of a Cabinet Minister in the order of precedence.

Leaders of the Opposition (1947–present)

Parties

  Lanka Sama Samaja Party  Sri Lanka Freedom Party  United National Party  Tamil United Liberation Front  Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi  Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna  Samagi Jana Balawegaya

No.
(Terms)
Opposition LeaderPolitical partyTerm of officeGovernment
PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Took officeLeft officeDays
1 N. M. Perera
ඇන්. ඇම්. පෙරේරා
(1905–1979)
Lanka Sama Samaja Party14 October 19478 April 19521638D. S. Senanayake1st
Dudley Senanayake I
Office vacant8 April 19529 June 195262
2 S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
එස්. ඩබ්. ආර්. ඩී. බණ්ඩාරනායක
(1899–1959)
Sri Lanka Freedom Party9 June 195218 February 195613492nd
Kotelawala
Office vacant18 February 195619 April 195661
S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike3rd
(1) N. M. Perera
ඇන්. ඇම්. පෙරේරා
(1905–1979)
Lanka Sama Samaja Party19 April 19565 December 19591325
Dahanayake
Office vacant5 December 195930 March 1960116
Dudley Senanayake II
3 C. P. de Silva
සී. පී. ද සිල්වා
(1912–1972)
Sri Lanka Freedom Party30 March 196023 April 1960244th
Office vacant23 April 19605 August 1960104
Sirimavo Bandaranayake I
4 Dudley Senanayake
ඩඩ්ලි සේනානායක
(1911–1973)
United National Party5 August 196017 December 196415955th
Office vacant17 December 19645 April 1965109
Dudley Senanayake III
5 Sirimavo Bandaranaike
සිරිමාවෝ බණ්ඩාරනායක
(1916–2000)
Sri Lanka Freedom Party5 April 196525 March 197018156th
Office vacant25 March 19707 June 197074
Sirimavo Bandaranayake II
6 J. R. Jayewardene
ජේ. ආර්. ජයවර්ධන
(1906–1996)
United National Party7 June 197018 May 197725377th
Office vacant18 May 19774 August 197778
Jayewardene
7 A. Amirthalingam
அப்பாப்பிள்ளை அமிர்தலிங்கம்
(1927–1989)
Tamil United Liberation Front4 August 197724 October 198322728th
Office vacant24 October 19838 November 198315
8 Anura Bandaranaike
අනුර බණ්ඩාරනායක
(1949–2008)
Sri Lanka Freedom Party8 November 198320 December 19881869
Office vacant20 December 19889 March 198979
Premadasa
(5) Sirimavo Bandaranaike
සිරිමාවෝ බණ්ඩාරනායක
(1916–2000)
Sri Lanka Freedom Party9 March 198924 June 199419029th
Wijetunga
Office vacant24 June 199425 August 199462
9 Gamini Dissanayake
ගාමිණි දිසානායක
(1942–1994)
United National Party25 August 199424 October 19946010th
Office vacant24 October 199428 October 19944
Kumaratunga
10 Ranil Wickremesinghe
රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ
(born 1949)
United National Party28 October 199410 October 2001254910th
11th
Office vacant10 October 200118 December 200169
11 Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
රත්නසිරි වික්‍රමනායක
(1933–2016)
Sri Lanka Freedom Party18 December 200131 January 200237812th
Office vacant31 January 20026 February 20026
12 Mahinda Rajapaksa
මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ
(born 1945)
Sri Lanka Freedom Party6 February 20027 February 2004730
Office vacant7 February 200422 April 200475
(10) Ranil Wickremesinghe
රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ
(born 1949)
United National Party22 April 20049 January 2015391413th
Mahinda Rajapaksa14th
Office vacant9 January 201516 January 20157Sirisena I
13 Nimal Siripala de Silva
නිමල් සිරිපාල ද සිල්වා
(born 1944)
Sri Lanka Freedom Party16 January 201526 June 2015130
Office vacant26 June 20153 September 201569
14 R. Sampanthan
இரா. சம்பந்தன்
(1933–2024)
Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi3 September 201518 December 20181202Sirisena II15th
(12) Mahinda Rajapaksa
මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ
(born 1945)
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna18 December 201821 November 2019338Sirisena IV
Office vacant21 November 20193 January 202043Gotabaya Rajapaksa
15 Sajith Premadasa
සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස
(born 1967)
Samagi Jana Balawegaya3 January 2020Incumbent1648
16th
Wickremesinghe

References

See also