Maithripala Sirisena

About

Politician who began serving as the seventh President of Sri Lanka in 2015. He was elected after having held a number of public offices, including Minister of Defence, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Health. 

Before Fame

He first became interested in politics while attending Royal Central College, Polonnaruwa. He joined the Communist Party and took part in a number of anti-government demonstrations. 

Trivia

His victory in the presidential election was widely seen as a big surprise, as he does not come from the same upper class background as all Sri Lankan presidents before him. 

Family Life

He has three siblings, which include successful businessman Kumarasinghe Sirisena. He married Jayanthi Pushpa Kumari and had children named Chathurika, Daham and Dharani. 

Associated With

He succeeded Mahinda Rajapaksa as the President of Sri Lanka.