With the dissolution of the First National State Assembly in May 1977, Mrs Bandaranaike began preparations for the upcoming General Election that would elect the eighth Parliament of Sri Lanka.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation, recognizing the contribution made by Mrs Bandaranaike in the field of food self-sufficiency in Sri Lanka, awarded her the Ceres Medal. The Director General Edouard Saouma presented her with the medal, so named after the Roman goddess of agriculture, at a ceremony in Colombo. Highlighting the differing aspects of her