2024 Sri Lankan presidential election
Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka sometime between 17 September and 16 October 2024, according to the Constitution of Sri Lanka. Voters will elect a president for a term of five years. Incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe is eligible to run for re-election.
Image: Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, at Hyderabad House, in New Delhi on September 15, 2015 (1)
Image: Anura Kumara Dissanayaka
Image: Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, at Hyderabad House, in New Delhi on September 15, 2015 (1)
Image: Speech at One Voice One Country campaign
The United National Party is a centre-right political party in Sri Lanka. The UNP has served as the country's ruling party, or as part of its governing coalition, for 38 of the country's 74 years of independence, including the periods 1947–1956, 1965–1970, 1977–1994, 2001–2004 and 2015–2019. The party also controlled the executive presidency from its formation in 1978 until 1994 and back in 2022.
D. S. Senanayake, the founder of the party
First Executive President of Sri Lanka, J. R. Jayawardana
Ranil Wickremesinghe, the current and longest-serving leader of the UNP, in office since 1994