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J. R. Jayewardene
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J. R. Jayewardene

President of Sri Lanka from 1978 to 1989

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Junius Richard Jayewardene, also known by his initials JR, was a Sri Lankan lawyer, who served as prime minister of Sri Lanka from 1977 to 1978 and as president of Sri Lanka from 1978 to 1989. He was a leader of the nationalist movement in Ceylon and served in a variety of cabinet positions in the decades following independence. A longtime member of the United National Party, he led the party to a landslide victory in the 1977 parliamentary elections and served as prime minister for half a year before becoming the country's first executive president under an amended constitution.

Quick facts

Born
wd
Place of birth
Colombo wd
Died
wd
Place of death
Colombo wd
Citizenship
Sri Lanka wd
Occupation
cricketer, diplomat, politician, lawyer wd
Political party
United National Party wd
Education
Sri Lanka Law College, Royal College, Colombo, University of London wd
Spouse
Elina Jayewardene wd

Positions held wd

  • President of Sri Lanka (4 February 1978 – 2 January 1989)
  • Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement (4 February 1978 – 9 September 1979)
  • Member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka (4 August 1977 – 4 February 1978)
  • Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (23 July 1977 – 4 February 1978)
  • Leader of the Opposition (7 June 1970 – 18 May 1977)
  • Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka (24 April 1960 – 20 July 1960)
  • Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka (26 September 1947 – 13 October 1953)

Questions

When was J. R. Jayewardene born?
J. R. Jayewardene was born on 17 September 1906 in Colombo.
What positions has J. R. Jayewardene held?
Positions held by J. R. Jayewardene include: President of Sri Lanka (1978–1989); Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement (1978–1979); Member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka (1977–1978); Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1977–1978); Leader of the Opposition (1970–1977).
Where did J. R. Jayewardene study?
J. R. Jayewardene was educated at Sri Lanka Law College, Royal College, Colombo, University of London.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (English): J. R. Jayewardene · CC BY-SA 4.0
  2. Wikidata item Q469661 · CC0 1.0
  3. Image: J. R. Jayawardene, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on June 20, 1984.jpg by Department of Defense. American Forces Information Service. Defense Visual Information Center. (Public domain)

Last updated · facts checked 9 November 2026

Cite this page

"J. R. Jayewardene". DigiNepal. Last updated 9 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/j-r-jayewardene. Retrieved 10 November 2026.

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Text from the Wikipedia article J. R. Jayewardene, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: J. R. Jayawardene, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on June 20, 1984.jpg — Department of Defense. American Forces Information Service. Defense Visual Information Center., Public domain.

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