biography
| name: |
Premadasa, Ranasinghe
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| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1924–93)
|
| biography:
| Statesman, prime minister (1978–89), and president (1989–93) of Sri Lanka, born in North Colombo, Sri Lanka. He studied at St Joseph's College, Colombo, was elected to parliament in 1960, and served as chief whip of the United National Party (1965–8, 1970–7), minister of local government (1968–70), and leader of the house (1977–8), before becoming prime minister under President Jayawardene. As prime minister, he implemented a popular housebuilding and poverty alleviation programme, and as president he faced mounting civil unrest and deteriorating relations with India. He was assassinated in a suicide bomb attack during the May Day parade through the capital. |
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