Wijeyananda Dahanayake

The Honourable
Wijeyananda Dahanayake
MP
Prime Minister of Ceylone
In office
26 September 1959  20 March 1960
Monarch Elizabeth II
Preceded by Solomon Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike
Succeeded by Dudley Senanayake
Member of the Sri Lanka Parliament
for Galle
In office
20 December 1979  20 December 1988
Preceded by Albert de Silva
Succeeded by Constituency Abolished
In office
5 August 1960  18 May 1977
Preceded by W. D. S. Abeygoonawardena
Succeeded by Albert de Silva
In office
14 October 1947  5 December 1959
Preceded by Constituency Created
Succeeded by W. D. S. Abeygoonawardena
Personal details
Born (1901-10-22)22 October 1901
Galle, Sri Lanka
Died 4 May 1997(1997-05-04) (aged 95)
Galle, Sri Lanka
Nationality Sri Lankan
Political party Lanka Equal Society Party
Ceylon Democratic Party
United National Party
Alma mater Richmond College, Galle
Profession Politician, Teacher
Religion Buddhist

Wijeyananda Dahanayake (Sinhalese: විජයානන්ද දහනායක Tamil: விஜயானந்த தகநாயக்கா; 22 October 1901 – 4 May 1997) was a Sri Lankan political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1959 to 1960.[1]

Early life

The young Wijeyananda Dahanayaka attended the well known Richmond College, in Galle, Sri Lanka.

He was born as a twin in the Galle district. Wijeyananda Dahanayaka was educated at a well known educational institution in Southern Sri Lanka, Richmond College in Galle.[2]

Political career

Dahanayaka was a member of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party before joining the administration of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, prime minister and leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. He served as cabinet minister of education in the Bandaranaike Administration, from 1956 to 1959.

Prime Minister of Ceylon

He took office as prime minister, cabinet minister of defence external affairs and education when Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike was assassinated in September 1959. He led the caretaker government for a year. His most notable action was the repeal of the Act which suspended capital punishment.

Dahanayaka contested the March 1960 General Election in Ceylon under the nomination of his newly formed Lanka Prajathanthravadi Pakshaya (Ceylon Democratic Party). He could not be re-elected as an MP, as he had lost his Galle constituency in that election.

He had also served as a cabinet minister of home affairs in Dudley Senanayake's government from 1965 to 1970 and cabinet minister of cooperatives in Junius Richard Jayawardene's government from 1986 to 1988.

Dahanayaka died on 4 May 1997 at the age of 95 in Galle, Sri Lanka.[3]

References

Government offices
Preceded by
S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
Prime Minister of Ceylon
19591960
Succeeded by
Dudley Senanayake
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