John Lionel Kotalawela

John Kotelawala (1951)

Sir John Lionel Kotalawela ( Sinhalese මත් ජොන් ලයනල් කොතලාවල ;  April 4, 1895 , † October 2, 1980 in Colombo ) was a Sri Lankan politician and military . From 1953 to 1956 he was the Prime Minister of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka ).

Origin and career

Kotalawela's father, John Kotelawala Senior, was an inspector for the Ceylon Police Force . After his suicide, his mother, Alice Kotelawala, b. Attygalle center of the family, which also ensured the economic consolidation of the family. After a long stay in Europe, Kotelawala began a military career in 1922 with the Ceylon Light Infantry as a second lieutenant . In 1939 he became the commander of the Ceylon Light Infantry, from 1942 with the rank of Colonel and as such was also a member of the Ceylon War Cabinet .

Political career

With the independence of Ceylon, Kotelawala was elected to the Senate for the United National Party . On October 12, 1953, he became Prime Minister of Ceylon, succeeding Dudley Shelton Senanayake . On April 12, 1956, the Sinhalese nationalist SWRD Bandaranaike succeeded him as Prime Minister. After being voted out of office as prime minister, Kotelawala stayed in Kent, England, for a long time and did not return to Sri Lanka until the mid-1970s. After his death in 1980 he was cremated with military honors in Independence Square in Colombo.

Honors

John Lionel Kotalawela has received numerous honors. Among other things, he was Knight of the Order of the British Empire (KBE). The Sri Lankan Military Academy ( General Sir John Kotelawala Defense University ), located on the Kotelawala estate, is named after him.

Web links

• Handbook of Parliament: Prime Minister (English)