President Maithripala Sirisena today said that the late Rathnasiri Wickramanayake was a politician who expressed his views in a forthright manner and that he was a close friend and a colleague who stood firmly for the victories of the party.

Issuing a condolence message on the death of the former Sri Lankan Prime Minister and former General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), he said that Wickramanayake was a veteran politician who represented the rural masses.

The brightest milestones of his political career have been through his journey with the SLFP, the President said, adding that the former PM was committed to do his best to serve the SLFP whenever the party faced with challenges. “It was a significant quality of this respectable and upright politician.”

“I express my deepest condolence on the demise of this pioneer politician who was a close friend and a colleague who stood firmly for the victories of the party to his beloved wife, his children including his son, Member of Parliament Vidura Wickramanayake and the loved ones and followers.”  

Message of Condolence

I was deeply saddened to learn about the demise of Hon. Rathnasiri Wickramanayake who was a former Prime Minister and a former General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). He was a veteran politician who represented the rural masses.

Hon. Wickramanayake was a politician who expressed his views in a forthright manner. He entered active politics from the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) and was elected to the Parliament in 1960. Later he joined the SLFP and moved forward on a successful political journey to the position of Prime Minister, after holding several important ministries.

Hon. Rathnasiri Wickramanayake was appointed as the Vice President of the SLFP, and when I became the President, he became my Senior Political Adviser, a post he held until his sad demise.  

The brightest milestones of his political career have been through his journey with the SLFP. He was committed to do his best to serve the SLFP whenever the party faced with challenges. It was a significant quality of this respectable and upright politician.

I express my deepest condolence on the demise of this pioneer politician who was a close friend and a colleague who stood firmly for the victories of the party to his beloved wife, his children including his son, Member of Parliament Vidura Wickramanayake and the loved ones and followers.  

May he attain the bliss of Nibbana!