Sri Lanka's main opposition leader and presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe was one of front runners among 13 candidates who are in the presidential poll on Nov. 17

Born in March 1949, Ranil Wickremesinghe is the United National Party's UNP) seventh leader since it was formed in 1946.

Wickremesinghe in keeping with his elitist Colombo society background had his primary and secondary education at Royal College, Colombo. He later graduated from the University of Colombo and passed out as an Attorney at Law.

The young Wickremesinghe was thrust in to politics in his mid twenties when he was elected as a member of parliament at the parliamentary election of 1977.

His father Esmond was a senior adviser to the then UNP leader J. R. Jayewardena and was known as a key member of the UNP's inner policy think tank.

Jayewardena with his landslide win was able to transform the Indian ocean island's socio political fabric. Among his extremely talented set of Cabinet of ministers young Ranil was fast emerging a key personality.

Ranil who became the deputy foreign minister at the age of 28 was appointed by Jayewardena in 1978 as the Minister of Youth Affairs and Employment. Later he switched on to the Education Ministry and was instrumental in many reform in the education sphere.

The creation of the National Youth Services Council (NYSC) was the brainchild of Wickremesinghe and the NYSC enabled several young Sri Lankan artistes to come to the fore in the national arena.

In 1995 the responsibility of leading a much battered party fell on his shoulders and the period was turning out to be an immensely testing time for the UNP leader.

Having been relegated to the position of the leader of the opposition he ended his bachelorhood by marrying Maithri, a charming university lecturer.

He lost the presidential election in 1999 and the parliamentary election a year later. Even faced a revolt from within his own party to oust him as the leader before leading them to the parliamentary election victory in December 2001.

The majority Sinhalese were made to believe that his consensus based approach to settle the ethnic separatist armed conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was a sell out of the country to the Tamils.

He was branded as a politician far too pro West and who is not in tune with the aspirations of the rural Sinhala majority folk.

As the prime minister for the second time in his political career, he brought to a halt the armed conflict by entering the internationally backed truce agreement with LTTE in February 2002. Opened up scores of security barriers in the country and let freedom of peace prevailing.

His government after just two years into its full six year term was cut short when rival President Chandrika Kumaratunga fired him on grounds of betraying national security through the peace process. His party was humiliated in the April 2004 polls.

Despite all the setbacks he still holds steadfastly to the policy that peace can be achieved only through negotiations. This forms the main theme of his presidential election manifesto.

Source: Xinhua