Minister of Defence (Sri Lanka)

Minister of Defence of Sri Lanka
Incumbent
Maithripala Sirisena
since 12th January 2015
Ministry of Defence
Inaugural holder Don Stephen Senanayake
Formation 24 September 1947
Deputy Ruwan Wijewardene
Website www.defence.lk

The Minister of Defence is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka who is responsible for the implementation of the Government of Sri Lankas defence policy and the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. The post was first created in 1947 as Minister of External Affairs and Defence, in 1978 the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence separated into two ministries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence. Prior to the separation of the post the Minister of External Affairs and Defence was held by the Prime Minister since 1947, with a Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and External Affairs who was an elected parliamentarian and was the de facto foreign minister.

List of Defence Ministers

Parties

  Sri Lanka Freedom Party   United National Party

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Name Portrait Party Tenure Head(s) of Government Ministerial title
Don Stephen Senanayake United National Party 24 September 1947 - 22 March 1952 Don Stephen Senanayake Minister of External Affairs and Defence
Dudley Senanayake United National Party 22 March 1952 - 12 October 1953 Dudley Senanayake
John Kotelawala United National Party 12 October 1953 - 12 April 1956 John Kotelawala
S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike Sri Lanka Freedom Party 12 April 1956 - 26 September 1959 S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
Wijeyananda Dahanayake Sri Lanka Freedom Socialist Party 26 September 1959 - 20 March 1960 Wijeyananda Dahanayake
Dudley Senanayake United National Party 21 March 1960 - 21 July 1960 Dudley Senanayake
Sirimavo Bandaranaike Sri Lanka Freedom Party 21 July 1960 - 25 March 1965 Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Dudley Senanayake United National Party 25 March 1965 - 29 May 1970 Dudley Senanayake
Sirimavo Bandaranaike Sri Lanka Freedom Party 29 May 1970 - 23 July 1977 Sirimavo Bandaranaike
J. R. Jayewardene United National Party 23 July 1977 - 4 February 1978 J. R. Jayewardene
Ranasinghe Premadasa United National Party 1989 - Ranasinghe Premadasa
Ranjan Wijeratne United National Party Ranasinghe Premadasa
Dingiri Banda Wijetunga United National Party Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
Tilak Marapana United National Party 12 December 2001 - 2004 Chandrika Kumaratunga
Mahinda Rajapaksa Sri Lanka Freedom Party 19 November 2005 – 08 January 2015 Mahinda Rajapaksa Minister of Defence and Urban Development
Maithripala Sirisena Sri Lanka Freedom Party 12 January 2015 – present Maithripala Sirisena Minister of Defence

See also

References

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