Kumaratunga, Chandrika

Date and Place of Birth: 29 June 1945, Sri Lanka.

Her father, Solomon Bandaranaike, was assassinated while serving as Prime Minister in 1959. President Kumaratunga’s mother, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, was elected as the world's first female Prime Minister in 1960.

Education:

Ms. Kumaratunga studied at the University of Paris and received a degree in Political Science and a Diploma in Group Leadership.

Professional Experience:

During her mother’s time in office, Ms. Kumaratunga served as Director Land Reforms Commission and as Chairperson of the Janawasa Commission for the alleviation of poverty. She worked in journalism for Le Monde and then as Managing Editor of the Dinakara Sinhala, a Sri Lankan Daily from 1977 to 1985. From 1976 to 1979, Ms. Kumaratunga served as an Expert Consultant to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

Political Career:

In May of 1993, Ms. Kumaratunga was elected to the Western Provincial Council of Sri Lanka and appointed as the Chief Minister of the Province.

In August 1994, Ms. Kumaratunga contested the Parliamentary General Elections as the People's Alliance's Prime Ministerial candidate and was elected to Parliament and appointed Prime Minister in 1994. 17 years of National Party rule ended with Kumaratunga’s election to the Presidency campaigning on a platform of vigorous new efforts at lasting peace with the Tamil Tiger Movement (LTTE).

At the outset, Ms. Kumaratunga made strong peace overtures to the LTTE, but when a viable peace agreement could not be reached she pursued a prolonged military campaign in the north of Sri Lanka. During the 1999 elections she was badly wounded in an LTTE assassination attempt.

Ms. Kumaratunga’s Presidential term ended in 2005.