World's First Woman Premier Dies

C O L O M B O, Sri  Lanka, Oct. 10, 2000 -- Former Sri Lankan PrimeMinister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who died today at age 84,became the world’s first woman premier 40 years ago — byaccident.

Hailing from a wealthy feudal family, Bandaranaikesucceeded her husband Solomon, who was shot dead by a Buddhistmonk at their home in September 1959.

A shy housewife who stayed in the background during herhusband’s premiership, she accepted a call by Solomon’ssupporters to head the Sri Lanka Freedom Party he founded. Sheled it to victory in the July 1960 elections.

She was prime minister of the Indian Ocean island threetimes and led her party through nearly four decades duringwhich it scored spectacular election victories and sufferedstunning defeats.

Nationalized Schools, Insurance

Following her husband’s policy of nationalization,Bandaranaike was responsible for taking radical measures thataltered the political and economic landscape of Sri Lanka.

She nationalized denominational schools and life insurance.

Bandaranaike’s daughter, President Chandrika Kumaratunga,is now undoing what her mother did by privatizing most of SriLanka’s state firms — including the telecommunication utilityand the national carrier.

In 1971, less than a year into her second term, a group ofMarxist youths mounted an armed insurrection againstBandaranaike’s government. The uprising was smashed with thehelp of arms rushed in by friendly countries.

In 1972, Bandaranaike made Sri Lanka a republic, severingthe last constitutional links with Britain, which had ruled thecountry for 150 years before granting independence in 1948.

Statesmanship, Economic Regression

Bandaranaike is remembered for both her statesmanship andsocialist policies during the Cold War years that some sayprompted Sri Lanka’s economic regression.

She adopted major land reforms, restricting land ownershipto 50 acres and placed a ceiling on ownership ofproperty.

She also restricted imports, which led to shortages of food,petrol and other essentials.

While trouble brew at home, Bandaranaike was active on theforeign policy front. She used her influence with both Indiaand China to play a key role in defusing tensions between thetwo giants after their brief border war in 1962.

She was also one of the founder members of the Non-AlignedMovement and later worked very closely with leaders likeIndia’s Indira Gandhi, Egypt’s Anwar Sadat and Yugoslavia’sMarshal Tito.

‘Mrs. B’ Leads a Nation

Affectionately known as “Mrs B” she was the uniting factorwithin the ruling People’s Alliance, a coalition of partieswith varied interests and ideologies that has now ruled SriLanka for six years.

President Junius Jayewardene won power in 1977 and replacedthe 1972 constitution, assuming unprecedented power asexecutive president. The prime minister’s role becameceremonial in nature.

Bandaranaike suffered a serious political setback whenJayewardene’s government expelled her from parliament in 1980and stripped her of her civic rights for five years.

She was disenfranchised after a special commission foundher guilty of abuse of power for continuing a state ofemergency for six years. “I was not given a fair trial,” shesaid.

Bandaranaike made a strong return to politics in 1985 andcontested the 1988 presidential elections, which she lost toRanasinghe Premadasa, who was assassinated five years later.

She then challenged the result in the Supreme Court, sayingit was not a fair election, but the court dismissed thepetition.

Family Feud?

In her later years, Bandaranaike faced rifts oversuccession as party leader — with the strongest candidates beingher daughter, Chandrika, and son, Anura.

Bandaranaike was said to favor her daughter, leading Anurato quit his mother’s party and join the main opposition UnitedNational Party.

Ill health prevented Bandaranaike from campaigning in theAugust 1994 parliamentary elections in which Chandrika led theparty to victory.

A few months later Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratungabecame Sri Lanka’s first woman president, defeating her nearestrival by a whopping margin.

Bandaranaike became prime minister for the third time, butanalysts say she played little role in the government due toill health.

She spent most of her last years in a wheelchair unable towalk and stepped down as prime minster on Aug. 10, daysbefore Kumaratunga dissolved parliament and called generalelections.