Mrs Sirima Bandaranaike, leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, made history today when she became the world's only woman Prime Minister. She is the sixth Prime Minister of Ceylon since independence in 1947. Her party secured 75 of the 151 elected seats and will be supported by eight other elected members and six appointed members. This will give her an absolute majority in the House of Representatives.
Although Mrs Bandaranaike is not a member of the House of Representatives or the Senate, under Ceylon's present Constitution she can hold the Premiership for four months. It remains to be seen how she will meet this situation. It has been mentioned that one of the party back-benchers may resign his seat in her favour. The suggestion has also been made that she can take her place in the Senate to which she can either be elected by the Lower House or appointed by the Governor-General.
After the swearing-in ceremony today she paid homage to the Buddha at one of Colombo's more famous temples. She was cheered along the streets of the city wherever she went.
Earlier Mr Dudley Senanavake, leader of the United National Party handed his resignation to the Governor-General Sir Oliver Goonetilleke, who then immediately summoned Mrs Bandaranaike. The new Prime Minister is expected to announce her Cabinet tomorrow.
Mrs Bandaranaike entered politics only after the assassination of her husband last September. She achieved her election victory in spite of allegations by the UNP that she was selling out Ceylon to Marxist dictatorship, but she is expected to pursue a policy of mild socialism with the emphasis on social welfare.
A local newspaper quoted her as saying in an interview that her party intended to nationalise life insurance. Asked about the nationalisation of the country's British-owned tea and rubber estates, she said: "The Indian question (the problem of citizenship of settlers of Indian origin) must be settled first." She also said that several members of other parties returned in the election had asked for membership of the Freedom Party.
The party's election manifesto proposed the setting up of a commission to inquire into the working of the press, but she did not touch on this subject in the interview. Mrs Bandaranaike said her party intended taking immediate action to appoint a commission to inquire into political aspects of her husband's assassination.
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