On 26 October 2018, Rajapaksa was controversially appointed to the office of prime minister by president Maithripala Sirisena after the UPFA withdrew from the unity government. The incumbent,Ranil Wickremesinghe, refused to accept his dismissal, stating that it was unconstitutional. This disagreement resulted ina constitutional crisis. The Sri Lankan Parliament passed twono-confidence motions brought against Rajapaksa on 14 and 16 November 2018. Failing to follow proper procedures, president Sirisena rejected both. On 3 December 2018, a court suspended Rajapaksa's powers as prime minister, ruling that his cabinet could not function until establishing its legitimacy. Rajapaksa resigned from the post of prime minister on 15 December 2018. Wickremesinghe was re-appointed as prime minister, and Rajapaksa was appointed Leader of the Opposition.[6]
Rajapaksa became the leader of theSri Lanka Podujana Peramuna in 2019, a proxy of the former president that had split from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. He became prime minister again on 21 November 2019 after being appointed by his brother,Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who had become president on 18 November after winning the2019 presidential election. On 9 August 2020, Rajapaksa was sworn in as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for the fourth time at a Buddhist temple on Colombo's outskirts. On 3 May 2022, amotion of no confidence aimed at Rajapaksa and his cabinet was declared by opposition leaders.[7] He was targeted during the2022 Sri Lankan protests over the corruption and mismanagement by the Rajapaksa family which led to aneconomic crisis that brought Sri Lanka to the point of bankruptcy as it defaulted on its loans for the first time in its history since independence. Protesters called him "Myna" and demanded his resignation which he resisted. On 9 May 2022, Mahinda Rajapaksa organised his supporters at his official residence who were brought by buses and led by SLPP MPs. The loyalists then attacked protestors atTemple Trees before assaulting protestors atGalle Face as attacks were carried out simultaneously against protests in other areas; however this intensified protests and retaliatory violence against Rajapaksa loyalists erupted islandwide and Mahinda Rajapaksa submitted hisletter of resignation the same day.[2][8]
During Rajapaksa's political career, he has been accused of multiple crimes including war crimes during the last years of theSri Lankan civil war as well as other criminal accusations including human rights violations during his presidency, corruption and for instigating violence on anti-government protestors on 9 May 2022.[9][10][11][12] As of 2023 he has been sanctioned by Canada for human rights violations.[13]
Early life and education
Born in 1945, Rajapaksa was the third child and second son ofD. A. Rajapaksa and Dandina Samarasinghe Dissanayake. Rajapaksa spent his formative years at hisfamily home in Medamulana. At the age of six he was sent to his father's school,Richmond College inGalle. Initially, he and his elder brotherChamal were boarded with a family in Galle. Later, their mother rented a house in Galle called the 'Singapore House' and moved there to facilitate the education of the growing family. In the mid-fifties, the Rajapaksa family moved toColombo and Mahinda Rajapaksa was admitted toNalanda College, Colombo. Later in 1957, he transferred toThurstan College, where he took part in sports such ascricket,rugby and athletics, taking part in the 400m relay team and becoming theshot put champion.[14][15]
In the mid-sixties, he started work as a library assistant at theVidyodaya Pirivena and soon became active inleft-wing politics. He became a member of the Ceylon Mercantile Union and was elected its branch secretary in 1967. His father. who had lost his parliamentary seat in the1965 general elections, died in November 1967.Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) leaderSirimavo Bandaranaike offered his father's post of SLFP party organiser for theBeliatta electorate to Mahinda's older brother Chamal. Chamal, who had joined theCeylon Police Force as asub-inspector, turned down Bandaranaike's offer in favour of his younger brother, thus Mahinda Rajapaksa was appointed as SLFP organiser for Beliatta in 1968.[15][16]
Political career
House of Representatives
Rajapaksa contested the1970 general elections as the SLFP candidate for the Beliatta constituency and was elected to theHouse of Representatives, having gained 23,103 votes against his rival Dr.Ranjit Atapattu from theUnited National Party (UNP) who gained 16,477. At the time, he was the youngestmember of parliament (MP) at the age of 24 and served as abackbencher for the governing party.[17] Following changes to the admission process to theSri Lanka Law College, which allowed young MPs to gain admission, he entered Sri Lanka Law College and studied law while serving as an MP. In July 1977, Rajapaksa lost his parliamentary seat in the SLFP's landslide defeat in the1977 general elections, to Dr. Ranjit Atapattu who had gained 24,289 votes to Rajapaksa's 17,896.[14][15]
He continued to engage in politics and was re-elected to parliament in1989, representing theHambantota District under proportional representation. He came to prominence as a leader, together withDr Manorani Saravanamuttu of the Mothers' Front. Saravanamuttu's organization united the mothers of individuals who had "disappeared" during the1987–1989 JVP insurrection; the insurrection was instigated by a rebel group that called themselvesDeshapremi Jathika Vyaparaya, or "Patriotic National Movement".[14]
During the insurrection, Rajapaksa frequently tried to encourage third-party intervention. He frequently complained about Sri Lanka's situation while inGeneva; he claimed that to restore democratic ideals, it is neither treacherous nor unpatriotic to seek third-party intervention. He also demanded that theUnited Nations, alongsideNGOs such asAmnesty International, be allowed to come to Sri Lanka and investigate.[18]
Rajapaksa requested that foreign nations put human-rights-related conditions on Sri Lanka when giving aid. On 25 October 1990, he said, "If the government is going to deny human rights, we should go not only to Geneva, but to any place in the world, or hell if necessary, and act against the government. The lamentation of this country's innocents should be raised anywhere."[19] In 1994, Rajapaksa appeared in the Sinhalese filmNomiyena Minisun.[20][17]
Mahinda Rajapaksa was chosen by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to run againstRanil Wickremesinghe, former prime minister andOpposition Leader. Wickremesinghe was the leader of theUnited National Party in thepresidential election held on 17 November 2005. Despite the huge election campaign led by the UNP, Mahinda Rajapaksa was able to gain a narrow victory, by 190,000 votes. Rajapaksa's opponents claimed that he won only because theLTTE called for Tamil voters to boycott the polls. Most voters in these areas were forcibly restrained from voting, and it is said that they would have favoured Wickremesinghe of the UNP.[23] Rajapaksa received 50.3% of the vote.[24]
After becoming President of Sri Lanka, Rajapaksa reshuffled the cabinet and took the portfolios of Defense and Finance in the new cabinet, which was sworn in on 23 November 2005.[24] Immediately following his election in 2005, Rajapaksa extended the term of theCommander of the Sri Lanka Army,Sarath Fonseka, less than 30 days before he was scheduled to retire.[25] Over the next three and a half years, Fonseka and Rajapaksa's brother, Defense SecretaryGotabaya Rajapaksa, led the country's armed forces in their battle against theLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, or Tamil Tigers), ultimately defeating the Tigers and killing their leader,Velupillai Prabhakaran.[25]
Although styling himself as a man of peace and a willing negotiator, Rajapaksa signalled his intention to end the peace process once in power by allying with Sinhalese nationalist parties such as theJanatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) andJathika Hela Urumaya. The JVP had opposed the original 2002 peace process as treasonous.[26]
President Mahinda Rajapaksa at theWorld Economic Forum session inJordan on 15 May 2009, just three days before the death of LTTE head Vellupillai Prabhakaran
The agreement made with Rajapaksa included provisions that called for a revision of the ceasefire agreement to give the military broader powers against the LTTE, as well as ruling out any devolution of power to the Tamil people. Furthermore, the cessation of aid to thetsunami-damaged LTTE-occupied areas, and the sidelining of the Norwegian facilitators due to their alleged bias were included.[27]
Immediately following his election victory, a series of mine blasts blamed on the LTTE claimed the lives of many off-duty servicemen and civilians, pushing the country back to the brink of civil war.[28] Following the closure by the LTTE of theMavil Aru reservoirsupplying water to 15,000 people in government-controlled areas on 21 July 2006,[29] the Sri Lankan military launched an offensive against the LTTE, bringing the entire reservoir under government control. Further military engagements led to the LTTE being driven out of the entireEastern Province of Sri Lanka and loss of 95% of the territory they had controlled.[30][31][32][33] The Sri Lankan government declared total victory on 18 May 2009. On 19 May 2009, President Rajapaksa delivered a victory address to the Parliament and declared that Sri Lanka was liberated from terrorism.[34]
Relationship with Lasantha Wickrematunge
On 11 January 2006,Lasantha Wickrematunge alleged he was threatened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa with whom he had a close personal friendship with for over 20 years. Wickrematunge was allegedly abused in foul language in a telephone call[35][36] According to Wickrematunge, the President had threatened to “destroy him” over a publication in his newspaper involvingFirst LadyShiranthi Rajapaksa.[35] Wickrematunge was detained briefly atBandaranaike International Airport on 21 February 2006 as he arrived for a flight toGeneva.[35][37] Airport officials had claimed that Wickrematunge required "special permission" to leaveSri Lanka.[38]
In 2010,WikiLeaks made publicclassified US messages sent during 2009 and 2010, stating that American diplomats, including the US Ambassador to Sri LankaPatricia A. Butenis, believed that Rajapaksa was responsible for massacres of Tamil civilians and captured LTTE fighters at the end of the war against the LTTE.[43] The cables also stated that the responsibility for many of the alleged crimes rested with the country's senior civilian and military leadership, including President Rajapaksa, his brothers, and General Fonseka.[44]
In April 2011, the Secretary-General of the United NationsBan Ki-moon published a report by an UN-appointed panel of experts, which concluded that as many as 40,000 people were killed in the final weeks of the war between the Tamil Tigers and the government forces.[45] A number of foreign journalists and news teams, such as the UK'sChannel Four News, have reported and filmed evidence of targeted shelling of civilians, executions, and atrocities.[46] Dead female Tamil fighters appeared to have been raped or sexually assaulted, abused, and murdered.[47]
Rajapaksa and his government have denied all allegations of war crimes.[48]
Following the end of the conflict, a rift emerged between Rajapaksa and Fonseka over reasons which are still disputed. On 15 November 2009, Rajapaksa ordered Fonseka to leave his post asChief of the Defence Staff with immediate effect through a letter from his secretary. Fonseka then joined the opposition as the candidate against Rajapaksa in the2010 presidential election, which Rajapaksa won in a landslide. Fonseka was subsequently sentenced to two years in jail for various offences by acourt martial. President Rajapaksa signed documents for the release of Fonseka in May 2012.[49]
Sri Lanka also rose into the "high" category of theHuman Development Index during this period.[52] Development projects included highways, roads, a Colombo beautification project, and rural infrastructure development.[53] However, the roadway projects reportedly had extremely high costs and were suspected of corruption, and large Chinese loans tripled the country's foreign debt and created an economic crisis.[54][55] Rajapaksa claimed that under his tenure, Sri Lanka started to experience rapid economic growth and that the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate reached over 7%.[56] However, these claims have been disputed, and after his terms in office ended, the successor government revealed that GDP growth was inflated by using the year 2002 as the base year. GDP growth for 2013 and 2014, which had been calculated at 7.2% and 7.4% using 2002 as the base year, was reduced to 3.4 and 4.5 percent, respectively.[57][58]
A forensic audit was launched, withInternational Monetary Fund help, on various projects initiated by Rajapaksa.[59] The audit confirmed that Sri Lanka had additional liabilities of 1.3 trillion rupees (8.9 billion US dollars).[60]
Allegations of election fraud
Rajapaksa was accused of election fraud in relation to both of his previous presidential election runs. During the 2005 presidential election, opposition parties accused Rajapaksa of bribing the LTTE to dissuade people from voting in thenorthern andeastern provinces. Most voters in these areas were forcibly restrained from voting by the militant group and, according to observers, they would have favoured the opposition candidateRanil Wickremesinghe.[61] In the 2010 election, Rajapaksa was accused of manipulating election results using computers.[62]
In the 2015 election, according to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry investigating irregularities intoSriLankan Airlines, it was revealed that security officers and vehicles of the national carrier had been used in the Rajapaksa's 2015 presidential campaign. At the time, Nishantha Wickramasinghe, a brother-in-law of Rajapaksa, was also Chairman of SriLankan Airlines until Rajapaksa lost the presidential election in 2015.[63]
Capitalizing on the end of theSri Lankan Civil War in May 2009, coming off an election win in January 2010, and with the near-collapse of the oppositionUnited National Party, President Rajapaksa rallied more than the two-thirds majority in Parliament necessary to pass an amendment to the constitution removing presidential term limits.[64] On 9 September 2010, Parliament passed the amendment to remove presidential term limits from the Constitution. This amendment allowed Rajapaksa to run for a third term and cement his grip on power. The move came just a day after theSupreme Court ruled that a referendum was not required to make the change. The amendment had consequences beyond just term limits, including provisions that increased the president's power to act without oversight, removing anindependent advisory council that the president was previously required to consult before appointing people to important non-partisan posts, such asSupreme Court judges and members of the human rights and electoral commissions. AParliamentary Council without veto power and with only two opposition members was created in its place.[64]
In a move that was widely seen as solidifying his control over the Supreme Court, Rajapaksaremoved chief justiceShirani Bandaranayake from office in January 2013, allowing Rajapaksa to appoint an ally and legal adviser, formerAttorney GeneralMohan Peiris, as Chief Justice.[65][66][67] In November 2014, the Supreme Court dismissed legal objections regarding President Rajapaksa's eligibility to seek a third term.[68]
Two years ahead of schedule, in November 2014, Rajapaksa signed an official proclamation confirming that he would seek re-election for a third term, after being unanimously endorsed by theSri Lanka Freedom Party. Though his second term officially was to end in November 2016, he could legally seek re-election after completing four years in office, a marker he passed on 19 November.[68]
Rajapaksa released his manifesto, titledMahinda's Vision — The World Winning Path, on 23 December 2014 at theBandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall.[98][99] The manifesto pledged to introduce a new constitution within one year of being elected, but not to abolish the executive presidency — it would be amended and the "weakness" in the parliamentary system eliminated.[100][101][102] A naval force and a special security force would be set up, with the help of thearmy, to tackle drug trafficking and otherorganised crime.[100][103] The manifesto also pledged to establish a transparent judicial inquiry into thealleged war crimes during the final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War, but Rajapaksa had refused to co-operate with the UN investigation.[104][105][106]
In June 2018,The New York Times reported that President Rajapaksa, during the 2015 presidential campaign and elections, received large payments from a Chinese port construction fund that flowed directly to campaign aides and activities. Rajapaksa had agreed to Chinese terms and was seen as an important ally in China's efforts to tilt influence away from India in South Asia. The payments were confirmed by documents and checks detailed in a government investigation report obtained byThe New York Times.[109]
During the final months of the election, theambassador of China to Sri Lanka had lobbied voters, "even caddies at Colombo's premier golf course", to support Rajapaksa over the opposition, which was threatening to tear up economic agreements with the Chinese government.[109]
With the election coming around, large payments started to flow toward the president's circle. Affiliates of Rajapaksa's campaign received at least $7.6 million that was dispensed from China Harbor's account at Standard Chartered Bank. A sum of around $3.7 million was distributed in checks with ten days to go before polls opened, including $678,000 to print campaign t-shirts and other promotional material, and $297,000 to buy supporters' gifts, including women's saris. $38,000 was paid to a popular Buddhist monk who was supporting the Rajapaksa campaign, while two checks totalling $1.7 million were delivered by volunteers toTemple Trees. A subaccount controlled by China Harbor, called "HPDP Phase 2", shorthand for Hambantota Port Development Project, was the source of most of the payments.[109][110][111]
Rajapaksa responded in theColombo Telegraph by calling the article "part of a political mudslinging campaign".[112][113]
In July 2018, a joint Chinese-Sri Lankan company, Colombo International Container Terminals Limited (CICT), confirmed paying nearly 20 million Sri Lankan rupees as a donation to the Pushpa Rajapaksa Foundation, a private fund meant to build houses for the poor. Pushpa Rajapaksa is Mahinda Rajapaksa's sister-in-law, wife of his brother,Basil Rajapaksa, who was also his economic development minister. CICT did not say how the money was used.[114]
Post-presidency
Alleged coup d'état attempt
According to Sri Lankan MPAthuraliye Rathana Thero, Rajapaksaattempted a coup d'état hours after the announcement of the election results, in order to remain in power, but the Army Chief,Jagath Jayasuriya, disobeyed the orders.[115][116] According to MPsRajitha Senaratne andMangala Samaraweera, before going to the Army Chief, Rajapaksa had earlier instructed the Attorney General to prepare the necessary documentation for the issuance of aState of Emergency, but the Attorney General had refused.[117] Rajapaksa subsequently accepted defeat and left theTemple Trees, the official residence of president, with the control of the government peacefully transferring to Maithripala Sirisena.[118]
The Sirisena government launched a probe into the alleged coup by Rajapaksa.[119] The government argued that Rajapaksa attempted to seize the poll-counting centres when he realised that he was losing the election.[120] One of the witnesses, the Attorney General, described to theCriminal Investigation Department the coup attempt made by Rajapaksa. The Attorney General said that he had refused to act on behalf of Rajapaksa.[121] Former army chief General Sarath Fonseka claimed that the Rajapaksa had moved about 2,000 troops intoColombo from theNorthern Province three days before the election results were announced. The general claimed that the troops were ready take action on a coup.[122]
However, the cabinet spokesperson of the new government stated, during a press conference held on 24 March 2015, that there was no evidence to prove that such a coup was attempted on the night of the election.[123] A spokesman for Rajapaksa has denied the allegations as baseless.[124][125] The army and police also denied the allegations.[126]
Rajapaksa unsuccessfully sought to become prime minister again, after losing his third-term presidential bid, in the2015 parliamentary elections. The position ofprime minister is largely that of a senior member of the cabinet who acts as a deputy to the president. The President directly appoints the prime minister, a person "who, in the President's opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of Parliament"; this is usually the leader of the party in power.[127] Although Rajapaksa was elected as a Member of Parliament forKurunegala with 423,529 preferential votes, his party was defeated in the election byRanil Wickremesinghe'sUnited National Party; Wickremesinghe was appointed as prime minister.[5][128]
Return to legislature
Ex. President Rajapaksa meeting Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi in New Delhi in September 2018
Rajapaksa returned to Parliament after his tenure as president, becoming the first former president to do so. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for Kurunegala District.[5] On 23 January 2015, theSeychelles government announced that it would assist the Sri Lankan government in their search for funds that were allegedly transferred by the Rajapaksa regime into PortVictoriaoffshore bank accounts.[129] In February,India announced that it would assist the Sri Lankan government in tracing billions of dollars that were allegedly deposited into overseas bank accounts belonging to Rajapaksa and associates.[130] The government sought help from theWorld Bank and theInternational Monetary Fund in locating this hidden wealth to expose the alleged corruption of the previous regime.[131]
On 7 May 2015, Foreign MinisterMangala Samaraweera received intelligence reports from four foreign nations that involved tracing billions of dollars stashed abroad, stating that the Rajapaksa family holds $18 billion (approximate Rs. 238,000,000,000) worth of assets in foreign countries. Minister Samaraweera didn't mention the names of the countries that were involved in this investigation.[132] The government asserted that they had traced only $2 billion and were seeking access to a bank account that was held by the Rajapaksa family; Minister Samaraweera stated that it would not be an easy task to retrieve the assets held by the Rajapaksa family abroad, and was willing to go after those belonging to the state.[133]
In 2016, Rajapaksa loyalists created theSri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party in an attempt to split with the SLFP. While Rajapaksa is not officially the leader of the party, the inaugural meeting was held in his political office which had a 15-foot cut-out of Rajapaksa smiling and surrounded by school children. In the courtyard was a banner of similar size showing golden rice fields and Rajapaksa's smiling face at its centre.[134]
Rajapaksa adopted a more anti-China policy, opposing major development projects such as the Southern Economic Development Zone, in which China planned to invest over US$5 billion. During the opening ceremony, protesters led by joint opposition MPs ignored a court order banning protests in the area and pelted stones at the event's participants, during which the Chinese envoy claimed that China will ignore "negative forces".[135][136] Rajapaksa also changed his stance on private medical universities such as theSouth Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM); during his rule, SAITM was accepted with several concessions from the Board of Investment, and at the request of Rajapaksa, SAITM gave scholarships to students who gained 3As in advanced-level exams. Ten students were given each given Rs. 7 million scholarships by Rajapaksa himself. However, in 2017 he claimed that "there needs to be a standard. The law cannot interfere. If it happens, everyone in this country will try to become doctors," opposing the institution. In reply, Dr Neville Fernando, the chairman of SAITM, called him an opportunist, as the students to whom Rajapaksa had granted scholarships, were then in their final year.[137][138]
Mahinda Rajapaksa's proxy, theSri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), won a landslide victory in the2018 local authority elections. They were able to secure 239 local government bodies out of 340.[139][140] The SLPP called for the resignation of the government and for fresh general elections to be held.[141][142]
On the evening of 26 October 2018, President Maithripala Sirisena appointed Rajapaksa as prime minister after the United People's Freedom Alliance withdrew from the unity government and informed Ranil Wickremesinghe that he was being removed from office. Wickremesinghe refused to accept the dismissal, stating that it was unconstitutional, which resulted in the2018 Sri Lankan constitutional crisis.[143] Amid claims that Rajapaksa had failed to secure a majority in Parliament while the crisis was prolonged, Sirisena dissolved Parliament by proclamation on 9 November and called for snap elections. On 11 November 2018, Rajapaksa left the SLFP and joined the SLPP.[144] The president's proclamation was challenged in the Supreme Court by multiple petitions, the court stayed the proclamation on 12 November, and Parliament met soon after. Rajapaksa faced multiple no-confidence motions, and after aquo warranto writ petition filed by 122 MPs against the appointment of Rajapaksa as prime minister and other Ministers, theCourt of Appeal issued an interim order on 3 December restraining the functioning of the respondents, Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister as well as other cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, and state ministers. The following day, Rajapaksa filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the interim order.[145]
On 13 December 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that President Sirisena's decision to dissolve the Parliament 20 months before the end of its term was unconstitutional.[146] The following day, the Supreme Court refused to vacate the interim order given by the Court of Appeal restraining Rajapaksa and his cabinet from functioning. The next day, 15 December, Rajapaksa publicly resigned from the post of prime minister.[147]
1. Resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa2. Accountability for corruption3. Economic reforms4. Access to essential services5. Political reforms6. Youth participation
The Rajapaksa family regained power in the2019 presidential election that November, when his younger brother and former wartime defence chiefGotabaya Rajapaksa won the election and was sworn in as the new president of Sri Lanka.[149][150] Their firm grip of power was consolidated inparliamentary elections in August 2020. The SLPP won a landslide victory and a clear majority in the parliament. Five members of the Rajapaksa family won seats in the parliament. Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as the new prime minister.[151]
The Rajapaksa family was targeted during the2022 Sri Lankan protests as their mismanagement and corruption was blamed for the destruction of the Sri Lankan economy, leading to aneconomic crisis that caused Sri Lanka to default on its foreign debt for the first time in its history since independence.[152][153] Mahinda was called "Myna" by the protesters, who established a protest site named "MynaGoGama" outside his official residence atTemple Trees.[154][155]
On 3 May 2022, opposition leaders declared amotion of no confidence aimed at Rajapaksa and his cabinet, in an attempt to remove him from power.[7]
On 9 May 2022, Rajapaksa loyalists were transported to his residence on buses who were then addressed by Rajapaksa. The loyalists were then armed with iron bars and assaulted unarmed protesters near Temple Trees and destroyed MynaGoGama. The Rajapaksa loyalists then travelled to Galle Face where they assaulted protesters and burned down their tents.[156][157]
With the uprising ofviolent clashes and unstable situations in the country, Prime Minister Rajapaksa resigned from his post on 9 May 2022.[158] The following day, agazette was released confirming Mahinda Rajapaksa's resignation from the post as prime minister.[159] On 10 May 2022, Rajapaksa and his family members fled toTrincomalee navy base for security reasons. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Defence on 11 May 2022.[160][161]
The opposition and protestors called for the arrest of Mahinda Rajapaksa for inciting violence against peaceful protesters. Protests erupted demanding the arrest of Rajapaksa and loyalists responsible for the attacks.[162][163]
2024 elections and resignation from politics
In the2024 presidential election, the SLPP fielded Mahinda Rajapaksa's son,Namal Rajapaksa, as its presidential candidate. Namal Rajapaksa suffered a humiliating defeat, finishing in fourth place and winning only 2.57% of the popular vote.[164] Following the SLPP's defeat, Mahinda Rajapaksa chose not to stand for re-election in the2024 parliamentary elections, thus ending his 54-year long political career.[165]
Controversies and criticism
Corruption
Rajapaksa's governments have been criticised for their corruption. During his leadership, Sri Lanka scored extremely low in theTransparency International Corruption Index. A Transparency International-led coalition revealed Rs. 3,000,000,000 had gone missing from a road project for a 2012 exhibition.[166]
Rajapaksa was being investigated by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges (PRECIFAC) over alleged financial losses incurred by the state-runIndependent Television Network (ITN) due to his campaign's failure to pay for advertisements broadcast during Rajapaksa's2015 presidential election campaign and also over the appointment of the ITN Chairman in September 2014. However, Rajapaksa has accused the PRECIFAC of being unconstitutional, and Rajapaksa's lawyers objected to its composition.[167][168]
On 16 January 2015, TheSirisena government announced that it would investigate Rajapaksa's deals with China and other countries that allegedly included kickbacks and mega-project deals. Furthermore, the government stated that the deals would be suspended until the investigations were completed.[169]Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) announced that they had filed corruption charges against the Rajapaksa brothers at theBribery and Corruption Commission and demanded that 11 individuals and an institution be investigated for massive corruption.[170] Meanwhile, MPMervyn Silva also filed corruption charges against Mahinda's brothers, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa. Silva criticised former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa forhuman rights violations and the death ofLasantha Wickrematunge.[171] The Anti-Corruption Unit led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe included a high-powered "rapid response team" to look into corrupt land transactions, stock market price-fixing, and the abuse of state funds for political purposes by the Rajapaksa family and the close associates of Mahinda Rajapaksa.[131]
TheSri Lanka Air Force announced that Mahinda Rajapaksa and hisfamily had used military aircraft for the Presidential election campaign, using $17,300 (Rs. 2,278,000) of public funds to travel across the island.[172] Rajapaksa and his family were the subjects of numerousstate resource abuse complaints from organizations and election monitors, including claims of their involvement in fraud, misuse of powers, murder, and money-laundering activities that are said to have taken $5.31 billion (Rs. 700 billion) out of the country illegally through the Central Bank using Rajapaksa's close association withAjith Nivard Cabraal, the former governor of theCentral Bank of Sri Lanka.[173][174]
Abduction and assault of Keith Noyahr
In August 2018, Rajapaksa was questioned at his official residence in Colombo by theCriminal Investigations Department (CID) in connection with the abduction and assault of journalist and former associate editor ofThe Nation Keith Noyahr in 2008.[175] The CID detectives questioned Rajapaksa about a phone call fromKaru Jayasuriya and the then-editor ofThe Nation newspaper, Lalith Alahakoon, to Rajapaksa, after which Noyahr was released. Rajapaksa had said that he did not recall receiving a phone call, and claimed the case was political revenge.[176] Noyahr was abducted and severely assaulted before being released in May 2008, after which he fled to Australia with his family, fearing for his life.[177][178]
Nepotism
Rajapaksa has been accused of nepotism, appointing three brothers to run important ministries and giving other political positions to relatives, regardless of their merit. The Rajapaksas held the offices of the ministries offinance and planning,defence,ports and aviation, andhighways and road development. Appointments have included his brother, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who was given the post ofDefence Secretary without holding any elections for the post; he controlled the armed forces, the police, and the Coast Guard, and was in charge of immigration and emigration. Rajapaksa appointed another brother,Basil Rajapaksa, as minister of Economic Development. His oldest brother,Chamal Rajapaksa, was appointed theSpeaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka from 2010 to 2015. The Rajapaksa family controlled over 70% of Sri Lanka's budget during their governance.[179][180]
Other appointees include his nephew,Shashindra Rajapaksa, who served as theChief minister of Uva from 2009 to 2015. Some of his cousins were given ambassadorial positions:Jaliya Wickramasuriya was appointed as Sri Lanka's ambassador to the United States, andUdayanga Weeratunga was appointed as the ambassador to Russia. Dozens of nephews, nieces, cousins and in-laws have also been appointed as heads of banks, boards, and corporations.[180]
Rajapaksa has a long history of denying allegations that are levelled against his family members and political associations. He is also widely accused of using his family members for government duties, claims he has rejected.[181]
Media freedom
Media groups have alleged that media freedom was curtailed in Sri Lanka during Rajapaksa's terms as president.[182] In 2008,Reporters Without Borders ranked Sri Lanka 165th among 173 countries in its annual WorldwidePress Freedom Index.[183] The next year, the country was ranked 162. By 2010, following the end of the war, the RSF ranking was 158th. These rankings have been questioned by independent Sri Lanka newspapers.
RSF's 2010 Press Freedom Index has Sri Lanka at number 158, nearly tied with Saudi Arabia. This makes the rankings somewhat suspect. In Saudi Arabia, all newspapers are owned by the royal family or their associates. All TV and radio stations are government-owned. Saudi journalists are forbidden by law to criticise the royal family or religious authorities and writers and bloggers are routinely arrested. Sri Lanka is obviously not this bad.
A total of 17 journalists and media workers were killed during Rajapaksa's presidency.[185][186]
Ethnic relations
Rajapaksa's policies on ethnic relations were mixed. The content of the president's historic speech inTamil at the UN was an effort to establish that he is a people's leader, representing all the peoples of Sri Lanka, including the Tamil minority.
While my mother tongue is Sinhala, let me elaborate a few thoughts in Tamil. Sinhala and Tamil are the two languages of the people of Sri Lanka. Both these have been used through the centuries, are rich in literature, and are widely used in my country, with recognition as Official Languages.[187]
He added, in Tamil,
With the widening of democracy in our country, the bonds between the Sinhala and Tamil people of Sri Lanka will grow stronger and remain a major force for its future development. We will march towards a richer freedom and lasting unity that await us as a nation.[187]
At the same time, he took no action against Sinhala Buddhist extremists,[188] and his brother, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, was accused of supporting the extremistBodu Bala Sena but later distanced himself from the organization, accusing it of being a "Western conspiracy".[189][190]
President Rajapaksa also imposed an unofficial ban on the Tamil version of the Sri Lankan anthem,[191] which has existed since 1948 and has been sung at various events including the 1949 Independence Day.[192] State administrators in Tamil-speaking regions blocked the Tamil version of the anthem and in some cases used security forces to disrupt events.[193] He continued to stand against the Tamil version of the anthem and slammed his successors for removing the ban and singing it again on Independence Day, claiming that the "national anthem should be sung in one language and not two or three languages"; the Pro-RajapaksaJoint Opposition also boycotted the event.[194]
On 14 November 2023, Rajapaksa, his brothers Gotabaya, Basil and other senior officials were found guilty of economic mismanagement between 2019 and 2022 by theSupreme Court of Sri Lanka, which stated that the respondents breached the fundamental rights to equal protection of the law in terms of Article 12(1) of the Constitution in a fundamental rights petition filed by Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) and four other activists. The court also ordered Rajapaksa and the other respondents to pay about $450 (150,000 rupees) in legal costs to the petitioners.[196][197][198] The following day, Rajapaksa stated inKandy that he will not accept the court’s judgement.[199]
Rajapaksa was born Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa,[15] inWeeraketiya, in the rural southerndistrict ofHambantota to an establishedpolitical family.[14] His father,D. A. Rajapaksa, had succeeded his brotherD. M. Rajapaksa's seat in theState Council of Ceylon following the latter's death in May 1945. D. M. Rajapaksa had started wearing the earthy brown shawl to representkurakkan (finger millet), which was cultivated by the people of his area; he championed their cause throughout his life. In later years Mahinda Rajapaksa would follow his uncle's example and wear a similar characteristic shawl. D. A. Rajapaksa, went on to serve as the member of parliament from Beliatta from 1947 to 1965, and served as Cabinet Minister of Agriculture and Land inWijeyananda Dahanayake's government.[14] His mother Dona Dandina Samarasinghe Dissanayake was from Palatuwa,Matara. He was the second eldest of nine chidden in the family which included six boys and three girls. His elder siblings areChamal, Jayanthi and younger siblings were Tudor,Gotabaya,Basil, Preethi, Dudley and Gandini.[15]
Several members of Rajapaksa's family are currently active in politics.[200] Most notable is his brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the formerpresident of Sri Lanka and a former secretary for theMinistry of Defence. His career in the Ministry of Defence ended at the same time as Mahinda Rajapaksa's presidency, on 9 January 2015.[201] Another brother, Basil Rajapaksa, was elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka from theGampaha District in April 2010. He was later appointedMinister of Economic Development. Basil was arrested in April 2015 on corruption charges.[202] He served asminister of finance of Sri Lanka from 2021 until his resignation in 2022. Mahinda Rajapaksa's eldest brother,Chamal Rajapaksa, was an MP from 1989 to 2024. He was electedSpeaker of the14th Parliament of Sri Lanka. Other family members involved in politics include his nephew,Shashindra Rajapaksa, the Chief Minister ofUva Province. Shameendra Rajapaksa, another nephew, is the director ofSriLankan Airlines. His cousinJaliya Wickramasuriya is Sri Lanka's ambassador to the United States. His cousinUdayanga Weeratunga is Sri Lanka's ambassador to Russia.Prasanna Wickramasuriya, another cousin, is chairman of Airport & Aviation Services. Rajapaksa's brother-in-law, Nishantha Wickramasinghe, is the chairman ofSriLankan Airlines.[203]
In 1983, Rajapaksa married Shiranthi Wickremesinghe, a child psychologist and educator. Shiranthi Rajapaksa is the daughter ofCommanderE. P. Wickremasinghe, of theSri Lanka Navy.[204] The Rajapaksas have three sons:Namal,Yoshitha, andRohitha. In April 2010, Namal Rajapaksa was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Hambantota District, obtaining the highest number of preferential votes in his father's former district. Namal was again elected to Parliament by obtaining the most votes from the Hambantota district in the 2015 General Elections. Yoshitha Rajapaksa was commissioned as anActing Sub Lieutenant in theSri Lanka Navy in March 2009.[205]
Mahinda Rajapaksa is superstitious; he wears talismans and consults astrologers in his decision-making.[206] He is known for acquiring a large number of valuable rings as lucky charms, some with colored stones and elephant hair. This has earned him the nickname "lord of the rings". During a wedding, which Rajapaksa attended as a VIP guest, he lost a gem-studded ring. After covertly searching under carpets and in washrooms, hotel staff found the ring on the floor near the VIP table.[207][208]
Public image
Rajapaksa was considered to be the most popular Sri Lankan politician of his time.[209] However, Rajapaksa has been accused of creating acult of personality around himself, using the civil war victory and Sinhalese chauvinism to boost his image. He was referred as a "King" by some of his supporters, and he used the media to portray himself as a strongman.[210][211][212] During his time in power, his pictures were shown on buses, billboards, and all forms of media. Television ads where songs were sung by school children in his rallies would hail him as "our father" and "father of the country". Rajapaksa also printed his picture on currency and named the budget airlineMihin Lanka after himself.[213][214][215] Rajapaksa thought having his name in the sky would bring him good fortune.[213] By 2022, the popularity of the Rajapaksas had declined significantly and during the2022 Sri Lankan protests protesters named him "Myna" as an insulting nickname and demanded his resignation alongside the entire Rajapaksa family.[216]
^Term as Prime Minister was disputed withRanil Wickremesinghe. No-confidence motion was passed on 14 November 2018, with functions and duties as PM suspended by a court on 3 December 2018.
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