Minister of Education Dr. Susil Premajayantha has been appointed as the new Leader of the House of Parliament. Meanwhile, Minister of Urban Development & Housing Prasanna Ranatunga was re-appointed as the Chief Government Whip of Parliament.

The letters of appointment were handed over by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Prime Minister’s Office in Parliament today morning (July 27).

The 18th Leader of the House of Parliament of Sri Lanka Dr. Susil Premajayantha was educated at St. John’s College, Nugegoda and is a Law graduate of the University of Colombo. He was sworn in as an attorney at law of the Supreme Court in 1984 and entered politics for the first time in 1991 when he was elected to the Kotte Municipal Council. Premajayantha, who was elected to the Western Provincial Council in 1993, then became the Chief Minister in 1995.

Premajayantha, who entered Parliament in the 2000 general election, holds the position of Minister of Education in the current government and has previously held the Ministerial portfolios of Technology and Research, Environment and Renewable Energy, Petroleum Industries, Power and Energy. He served as the General Secretary of United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) for a long time.

Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, who was appointed as the Chief Government Whip, was serving in the same position before. Ranatunga, who is the Minister of Urban Development and Housing of the current government, previously served as the Minister of Tourism and Public Security. He is an alumnus of Ananda College in Colombo and has previously served as the Chief Minister of the Western Province.