 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (December 2019) |
Wijeyananda Dahanayake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 5th Prime Minister of Ceylon | |
| In office 26 September 1959 – 20 March 1960 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor General | Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke |
| Preceded by | S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike |
| Succeeded by | Dudley Senanayake |
| Minister of Home Affairs | |
| In office 1965–1970 | |
| Prime Minister | Dudley Senanayake |
| Preceded by | Maithripala Senanayake |
| Succeeded by | Felix Dias Bandaranaike |
| Minister of Education | |
| In office 1956–1959 | |
| Prime Minister | S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike |
| Preceded by | M. D. Banda |
| Succeeded by | Bernard Aluwihare |
| Member of Parliament for Galle | |
| In office 1979 – 20 December 1988 | |
| Preceded by | Albert de Silva |
| Succeeded by | Constituency Abolished |
| In office 1960 – 18 May 1977 | |
| Preceded by | W. D. S. Abeygoonawardena |
| Succeeded by | Albert de Silva |
| In office 1947 – 5 December 1959 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency Created |
| Succeeded by | W. D. S. Abeygoonawardena |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 October 1902 Galle, British Ceylon |
| Died | 4 May 1997 (aged 94) Galle, Sri Lanka |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Political party | Sinhala Language Front Ceylon Democratic Party Sri Lanka Freedom Socialist Party |
| Other political affiliations | Bolshevik–Leninist Party Lanka Sama Samaja Party Mahajana Eksath Peramuna Sri Lanka Freedom Party United National Party |
| Education | S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, Richmond College, Galle |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Teacher |
| Nickname | Bannis Mama |
Wijeyananda Dahanayake (Sinhala: විජයානන්ද දහනායක Tamil: விஜயானந்த தகநாயக்கா; 22 October 1902 – 4 May 1997) was a Sri Lankan politician. He was the Prime Minister of Ceylon from September 1959 to March 1960.[1]
Born as one of the twin children to a conservative family in Galle, Don Wijeyananda Dahanayake was educated at Richmond College, Galle and S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia. He became a teacher at St. Aloysius' College, Galle before entering active politics having been elected to the Galle Municipal Council in 1939 as a leftist and served as Mayor of Galle. In 1944, he was elected to the State Council of Ceylon and was thereafter elected to the House of Representatives. He served as the member of parliament from Galle from 1947 to 1977, with a brief interval in 1960. In 1956, he was appointed to the Cabinet of Ministers as the Minister of Education. He unexpectedly succeeded S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike as Prime Minister when the latter was assassinated on 26 September 1959. His tenure as the caretaker Prime Minister was short as he was unable to keep together the alliance formed by Bandaranaike. He dismissed the Cabinet of Ministers and called for fresh elections, for which he formed his own party. Although he lost his parliamentary seat in the 1960 March elections, he regained it in the general election that followed two months later. Sitting in the opposition from 1960 to 1965, he served as Minister of Home Affairs from 1960 to 1965 and again sat in opposition from 1970 to 1977. He then served as Minister of Co-operatives from 1986 to 1988. He is noted for having contested from almost every major party of his time and has the record for the longest speech in parliament, lasting thirteen and half hours.
- ^ Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka Archived 25 August 2013 at the Wayback Machine