Nation honours two former Prime Ministers

[September 26, 2003 - 10.00 GMT]

A simple ceremony was held this morning to mark the 44th death anniversary of Prime Minister S.W. R. D. Bandaranaike and the third death anniversary of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

Their children, Sunethra and Anura Bandaranaike paid floral tributes at the Bandaranaike Mausoleum in Horagolla, 39 kilometers from Colombo. The second daughter, President Chandrika Kumaratunga did not attend due to security concerns.

Parliamentarians, district governors and members of the diplomatic community paid their respects, to the late Bandaranaikes.

S.W. R. D. Bandaranaike was born on January 8, 1899 to a wealthy and distinguished family in Sri Lanka. He received his secondary education at St. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia where he excelled both in studies as well as in sports. He proceeded to the Oxford University in 1919 from where he graduated; he was Secretary of the Oxford Union in 1923. He was called to the bar in 1925.On his return to Ceylon he entered politics and was elected to the newly formed legislative assembly, the State Council in 1931.

He founded the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in 1952. He was elected Prime Minister in 1956. Bandaranaike was an eloquent orator often referred to as the silver tongued little man from Asia. He was assassinated in 1959.

Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike — affectionately called Mrs. B —married S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike in 1940.

She served twice as head of state, from 1960 - when she became the world’s first woman Prime Minister - to 1965 and again from 1970 to 1977. Her third stint as Prime Minister was from 1994 to 2000. Mrs. B bade farewell to the nation on October 10, 2000.

 

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Last Updated Date: September 26, 2003  -10.00 GMT.