Dinesh Gunawardena

Dinesh Gunawardena, born on March 2, 1949, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, is a veteran Sri Lankan politician who served as Prime Minister from July 2022 to September 2024 under President Ranil Wickremesinghe. He is the leader of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) party and has been a member of parliament since 1977, making him one of the longest-serving parliamentarians in Sri Lanka. His father, Philip Gunawardena, was a prominent independence-era politician known as the 'Father of Socialism' in Sri Lanka. Dinesh has served in various ministerial capacities including Minister of Education, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Urban Development. He is known for his fiery parliamentary speeches and his commitment to Sinhala nationalism.