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dated April 13, 1956: New Premier of Ceylon

Mr. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, leader of the victorious Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, was sworn in at noon in Colombo on April 12 before the Governor-General as Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and External Affairs. Mr. Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike was born on January 8, 1899 in a family whose members had held high positions for generations. His father, Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranaike, was Chief Aide-de-Camp and Adviser to every British Governor of Ceylon since 1901. After early education in Ceylon, Mr. Bandaranaike was sent to the Christ Church College in Oxford in 1919. Reputed for his ready wit and eloquence, he was elected President of the Indian Majlis at Oxford in 1921 and the Secretary of the Oxford Union Society the following year. His fiery speeches at Oxford are known to have earned for him the sobriquet of "the Sword," derived from his initials "S.W.R.D." He led debates at Oxford supporting India's claim to freedom. After being called to the Bar from the Inner Temple in 1923, Mr. Bandaranaike returned to Ceylon and set up practice as an advocate. Later, he took to politics. In 1925, he was elected to the Colombo Municipal Council and became the President of the Ceylon National Congress. In 1931, he was elected unopposed to the State Council and since then has been in Parliament and has served as a Minister for nearly 19 years. He was appointed Leader of the House of Representatives in the late D.S. Senanayake's Government. In July 1951, he left the ruling United National Party, crossed the floor and became the Leader of the Opposition. That year, he founded the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the nucleus of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna. In the House of Representatives, which has 95 elective seats, the Peramuna has absolute majority with 51 members.

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