Kotelawala cabinet [SEP] start time
Kotelawala cabinet
The Kotelawala cabinet was the central government of Ceylon led by Prime Minister John Kotelawala between 1953 and 1956. It was formed in October 1953 after the resignation of Kotelawala's predecessor Dudley Senanayake and it ended in April 1956 after the opposition's victory in the parliamentary election.
However, to much of his anger, Lord Soulbury, the Governor-General appointed Senanayake's son and Kotelawala's younger cousin, Dudley Senanayake as Prime Minister on 26 March 1952. An angry Kotelawala threatened resignation and a possible split in the party appeared. After mediation between Kotelawala and Senanayake by senior UNP members including Sir Oliver Goonetilleke, Kotelawala agreed to serve in Dudley Senanayake's cabinet retaining his existing portfolio. Soon after Senanayake called for fresh elections and in the 1952 general elections Kotelawala was re-elected and retained his ministry