Leadership archive · 1978–1989
J. R. Jayewardene
Executive President
Sri Lanka's first Executive President under the 1978 Constitution, serving during the early escalation of the civil war.
Biography
Junius Richard Jayewardene was a lawyer and long-serving politician who held several senior government positions before becoming president in 1978. His presidency introduced the executive presidential system and major economic policy changes.
His administration faced growing ethnic tensions, anti-Tamil violence in July 1983, and an increasingly destructive armed conflict. These years shaped Sri Lanka's domestic politics and its relations with India.
Historical record
Presidency during the conflict
The July 1983 violence known as Black July marked a major escalation in the conflict and caused widespread deaths and displacement among Tamil civilians.
On 29 July 1987, Jayewardene signed the Indo–Sri Lanka Accord with Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The agreement led to the deployment of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) and attempted to establish a political framework for resolving the conflict.
Further reading