President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the 9th Executive President of Sri Lanka, commemorates his 56th birthday today, November 24.
Born in 1968, President Dissanayake has made significant contributions to Sri Lankan politics over a career covering a number of decades.Early Education and University LifePresident Dissanayake started his education at Thambuttegama Primary School and later on went into Thambuttegama Central College, mastering Mathematics stream at the Advanced Level Examination.
In 1992, he entered the Faculty of Science at the University of Kelaniya, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1995.
His political journey began during his university years, ending up being an activist with the Socialist Students Union in 1987.
He played a popular role in the nationwide protests against the Indo-Lanka Accord the exact same year.Entry into Active PoliticsIn 1993, as the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) re-emerged following a duration of state repression, Dissanayake resumed active politics.
He was selected National Organizer of the Socialist Students Union in 1997 and was elected to the JVP Central Committee the very same year.
By 1998, he had actually signed up with the JVPs Politburo.Dissanayake contested the 1999 Provincial Council elections as the JVPs Chief Ministerial candidate for the Central Province, marking his initial foray into electoral politics.
He got in Parliament for the first time in 2000 through the nationwide list.
Parliamentary and Ministerial RolesIn the 2004 parliamentary election, Dissanayake won the greatest number of preferential votes in the Kurunegala District and was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Irrigation, and Livestock under the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government.He was chosen as the Leader of the Parliamentary Group of the JVP in 2008 and returned to Parliament in 2010 through the National List.
In 2015, he represented the Colombo District in Parliament.Leadership and PresidencyDissanayake assumed leadership of the JVP at its 7th National Convention on February 2, 2014.
In 2019, he led the formation of the National Peoples Power (NPP), a union uniting political parties, civil organizations, and activists, consisting of the JVP.In the governmental election hung on September 21, 2024, Anura Kumara Dissanayake made history by being chosen as the President of Sri Lanka, marking a significant milestone in his political journey.