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Text File  |  1992-09-01  |  768b  |  20 lines
  1. 1924- . Sri Lankan politician, a United
  2. National Party member of Parliament from
  3. 1960, prime minister from 1978, and president
  4. from 1988, having gained popularity through
  5. overseeing a major house-building and
  6. poverty-alleviation programme. He has sought
  7. peace talks with the Tamil Tigers. From a
  8. slum background and a member of the dhobi
  9. (laundryworkers') caste, Premadasa was
  10. elected deputy mayor of Colombo 1955. He
  11. served successively as minister of local
  12. government from 1968, UNP Chief Whip from
  13. 1970, and leader of the House from 1977,
  14. before being appointed prime minister. He was
  15. elected president Dec 1988. He opposed the
  16. 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan peace-keeping agreement
  17. aimed at solving the Tamil crisis, and in
  18. 1990 secured the withdrawal of the Indian
  19. forces.
  20.