2023 in Sri Lanka
The following lists notable events that will occur and take place during 2023 in Sri Lanka.
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Incumbents
National
| President | Prime Minister | Speaker | Chief Justice | Opposition Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranil Wickremesinghe (Age 74) |
Dinesh Gunawardena (Age 74) |
Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena (Age 78) |
Jayantha Jayasuriya |
Sajith Premadasa (Age 56) |
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| United National Party (since 21 July 2022) |
Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (since 22 July 2022) |
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (since 20 August 2020) |
Independent (since 29 April 2019) |
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (since 3 January 2020) |
Provincial
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Events
January to April
- 10 January – Canada imposes sanctions on former presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa and two members of the Sri Lankan Army, Staff Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake and Lieutenant Commander Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi, over “gross and systematic violations of human rights” during the Sri Lankan Civil War.[1][2]
- 20 January
- The first ever 3D Sri Lankan animation film Gajaman is released theatrically.[3]
- Seven people are killed and dozens are injured by a school bus collision in Colombo.[4]
- 31 January – 2024 Sri Lankan presidential election: Former President Maithripala Sirisena announces he will run for a second term in 2024.[5]
- 4 February – The 75th anniversary of Sri Lankan independence from the British Empire.
- 8 April – 2024 Sri Lankan presidential election: Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe announces he will run for reelection, and hints that presidential polls may be held in early 2024.[6]
May to August
- 16 May – 2024 Sri Lankan presidential election: Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa announces he will run for president in 2024.[7]
- 24 May – 2024 Sri Lankan presidential election: Entrepreneur Janaka Ratnayake announces he will run for president in 2024. He is the first presidential candidate of the election to not belong to any political party.[8]
- 26 June – The Department of Wildlife Conservation cancels plans to export about 100,000 endangered toque macaque Old World monkeys to China after several environmentalists initiated legal action in the Court of Appeal against the export.[9]
- 9 July – Ten people are killed and 30 others are injured when a bus falls off a bridge into a river in the North Central Province.[10]
- 15 August – The Government of Sri Lanka permits the importation of buses and trucks, lifting part of its vehicle import ban initiated in 2020 due to foreign exchange shortages, while bans on cars, motorcycles, and three-wheeled motor scooters persist pending improved foreign reserves.[11]
September to October
- 17 September – Freedom People's Alliance parliamentarian Uddika Premarathna narrowly escapes an assassination attempt at his residence in Anuradhapura. Unidentified gunmen opened fire at Premarathna as he was getting out from his car. Premarathna was unharmed in the incident.[12]
- 6 October
- The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka unanimously makes a landmark decision in which it approved of the power of a political party to expel one of its members, thus ensuring their dismissal from Parliament. Such decision was made after former Minister of Environment Ahamed Nazeer Zainulabdeen was expelled from his party, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, for going against his party by accepting a ministerial position, thereby stripping him of both his seat and ministerial position.[13]
- Flooding and mudslides ravage the country as a result of heavy rainfall. In Colombo, five are killed and five others are injured after a large tree falls onto a moving bus. In the Galle District, one man dies after his house is impaled by a rock during a mudslide.[14]
Deaths
Oswald Gomis (b. 1932)
Joseph Michael Perera (b. 1941)
Jayantha Dhanapala (b. 1938)
Merrill J. Fernando (b. 1930)
January
- 5 January – Buddhi Wickrama, 83 (actor)[15]
- 13 January – Reginald Cooray, 75 (politician)[16]
- 19 January – Sumitra Peries, 88 (filmmaker)[17]
February
- 3 February – Oswald Gomis, 90 (former Archbishop of Colombo (2002–2009) and former chancellor of the University of Colombo (2002–2021))[18]
March
- 5 March – Heen Banda Dissanayaka, 85 (civil servant, former governor of the Central Bank of Ceylon)[19]
- 24 March
- Gamini Wanaguru, (actor)
- Jayathilaka Herath, (actor)
- 28 March
- Sanath Nandasiri, 81 (musician)[20]
- Joseph Michael Perera, 81 (politician and former Speaker)[21]
- 31 March – Mahinda Thilakaratne, 79 (musician)
April
- 1 April – Amarasiri Kalansuriya, 82 (actor)[22]
- 7 April – Priyani Soysa, 97 (paediatrician)[23]
- 18 April – Mahesh Nishantha, (cinematographer)[24]
May
- 1 May – G. R. Perera, 83 (actor)[25]
- 4 May – Gnananga Gunawardena, 78 (actor)[26]
- 16 May – Padmini Dahanayake, 81 (dancer)[27]
- 17 May – Tony Hassan, 73 (singer)[28]
- 18 May – Christopher Paul, 87 (singer)
- 27 May – Jayantha Dhanapala, 84 (diplomat)[29]
June
- 29 June – Gaya Ramya Alwis, 52 (director)[30]
July
- 20 July – Merrill J. Fernando, 93 (businessman, founder of Dilmah)[31]
August
- 1 August – Lal Sarath Kumara, 69 (actor)
- 9 August – Daya Sahabandu, 83 (cricketer)[32]
- 12 August – Allan Smith, 94 (Olympic diver)[33]
September
- 21 September – M.S. Aliman, 77 (film editor)[34]
- 26 September – Jayantha Paranathala, 72 (cricketer and police officer)[35]
October
- 9 October – Jackson Anthony, 65 (actor)[36]
- 16 October – Victor Perera, 75 (police officer, politician, and former governor of the Northern Province (2008))[37]
- 17 October – Buddhi Keerthisena, 83 (film producer)[38]
- 19 October – Summa Navaratnam, 98 (athlete and rugby player)[39]
- 21 October
- Lalith Kotelawala, 84 (businessman)[40]
- Rajini Selvanayagam, 87 (dancer)[41]
- 22 October
- 26 October – Lionel Balagalle, 75 (military officer, former commander of the army (2000–2003) and chief of staff (1999–2000))[44]
- 28 October - Sunil Siriwardena, 82 (musician)
References
- "Canada sanctions Mahinda, Gotabaya over human rights violations". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- "Sri Lanka registers strong protest against Canadian sanctions on ex-presidents". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- "Gajaman Sri Lanka's first 3D animation film is set to hit the theatres". www.adaderana.lk. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- "7 dead, dozens injured in road accident in Sri Lanka-Xinhua". english.news.cn. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- "Ex-Sri Lanka president Sirisena to run again; apologises to Catholics, compares self to Mandela". EconomyNext. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- "Ranil to contest Presidential election, hints at poll early next year - Top Story | Daily Mirror". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- "Sajith Premadasa named as SJB Presidential Candidate". NewsWire. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- Siriwardana, Ajith (26 May 2023). "'All common candidates have failed, I will be people’s candidate': Janaka Ratnayake". DailyMirror. Retrieved on 26 May 2023.
- "Cash-strapped Sri Lanka scraps plan to export 100,000 endangered monkeys". ABS-CBN News. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- "10 dead, over 30 injured when bus topples into river-Xinhua". english.news.cn. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- "Sri Lanka lifts import ban on buses, trucks". New Straits Times. 15 August 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- "Sri Lankan MP escapes assassination attempt". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- "Supreme Court in landmark judgement affirms power of political parties to expel members". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- "Heavy rain and floods kill 6 people in Sri Lanka and force schools to close". AP News. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- Veteran actor Buddhi Wickrama passed away
- "Former minister Reginald Cooray passes away". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- Veteran Sri Lankan filmmaker Sumitra Peries passes away
- Most Rev. Dr. Oswald Gomis called to eternal rest
- Former Governor of the Central Bank H.B. Dissanayake Passes Away
- Veteran singer and musician Sanath Nandasiri passes away
- Joseph Michael Perera passes away
- Veteran actor Amarasiri Kalansuriya passed away
- Priyani Soysa: Renowned professor emerita of paediatrics passes away
- මහේෂ් නිශාන්ත සමුගනී
- Veteran actor G.R. Perera passes away
- "Veteran actor Gnananga Gunawardena passes away". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- Veteran dancer Padmini Dahanayake passes away
- Veteran singer Tony Hassan passes away at 73
- Veteran diplomat Jayantha Dhanapala passes away
- "Gaya Ramya Alwis bids adieu". 28 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
- Founder of Dilmah, Merrill Fernando passes away
- Greatest left-arm spinner of pre-Test era Daya Sahabandu no more
- Allan Smith
- එම්.එස් අලිමාන් සමුගනී
- Ex-cricket Administrator Jayantha Paranathala dies
- Veteran actor Jackson Anthony passes away
- Former IGP Victor Perera passes away
- Veteran film producer Dr. Buddhi Keerthisena no more
- Rugby legend Navaratnam dies aged 98
- Businessman Lalith Kotelawala passes away at 84
- Veteran traditional dancer Rajini Selvanayagam passes away
- ප්රවීණ ජ්යොතිර්වේදී නිශාන්ත පෙරේරා අභාවප්රාප්ත වෙයි
- Veteran beautician Premasiri Hevawasam passes away
- Former Army Commander Lionel Balagalle passes away
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