Mahinda Rajapaksa

Mahinda Rajapaksa
Born	Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa 11/18/1945
Birthplace	Weeraketiya, Southern Province, British Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Occupation	Politician, attorney
Title	Former President and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Known for	6th President of Sri Lanka, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (four terms), overseeing the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War
Education	Sri Lanka Law College
Spouse(s)	Shiranthi Rajapaksa (née Wickremesinghe)
Children	3
Website	http://www.mahindarajapaksa.lk

Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa (born 18 November 1945) is a Sri Lankan politician and attorney who served as the sixth President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015 and as Prime Minister on four separate occasions. A figure who has shaped Sri Lankan politics for over five decades, Rajapaksa first entered parliament in 1970 as one of its youngest members and rose through the ranks of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to become the country's foremost political figure in the early 21st century. His presidency, which spanned nearly a decade, was defined by the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009, ending a civil war that had lasted over a quarter of a century, but also by allegations of serious human rights abuses during the final phase of that conflict. After losing the 2015 presidential election to Maithripala Sirisena, Rajapaksa returned to political prominence through his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa's 2019 presidential victory, serving as prime minister until 2022 when mass protests over an economic crisis forced his resignation. The Rajapaksa family's dominance of Sri Lankan politics, with multiple brothers and sons holding key government positions, has been a defining and controversial feature of the country's modern political landscape.

Early Life

Mahinda Rajapaksa was born on 18 November 1945 in Weeraketiya, a town in the Southern Province of what was then British Ceylon. He was born into a prominent political family from the southern Sinhalese heartland. His father, D. A. Rajapaksa, was a member of the first Parliament of Ceylon, and the family maintained deep connections to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and its founding ideals of Sinhalese-Buddhist nationalism and social welfarism.

Rajapaksa grew up in the Hambantota District, a rural and economically underdeveloped area in the island's deep south. The region's agrarian character and its distance from the cosmopolitan elite of Colombo shaped Rajapaksa's political identity as a populist leader who drew his base from the Sinhalese rural heartland. The Rajapaksa family's ancestral home in Medamulana, near Hambantota, became a symbol of this identity throughout his political career.

The political environment of Rajapaksa's youth was defined by the transition from British colonial rule — Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) gained independence in 1948 — and the growing polarisation between the island's Sinhalese majority and Tamil minority. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party, founded in 1951, championed Sinhalese-Buddhist interests and nationalisation policies that would form the ideological backbone of Rajapaksa's later political career.

Rajapaksa's family background placed him squarely within the political establishment of southern Sri Lanka. Several members of the Rajapaksa family would go on to hold significant political and military positions, including his brothers Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa, and Chamal Rajapaksa, as well as his son Namal Rajapaksa. This familial network would later become a central feature — and subject of criticism — of his time in power.

Education

Rajapaksa received his legal education at Sri Lanka Law College, where he qualified as an attorney-at-law. His legal training formed the professional foundation of his early career before he entered full-time politics. Rajapaksa practised law and was involved in the defence of civil rights cases during a politically turbulent period in Sri Lankan history, which contributed to his early reputation as a figure sympathetic to leftist and human rights causes — a characterisation that would shift considerably during his later presidency.

Career

Early Political Career (1970–2004)

Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in the 1970 general election, representing the Beliatta constituency in the Hambantota District. At the age of 24, he was among the youngest members of parliament at the time. He served as a member of parliament for Beliatta from 27 May 1970 until 21 July 1977.

Following the 1977 electoral defeat of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Rajapaksa was out of parliament for over a decade. He returned in the 1989 elections, this time representing the Hambantota District, a seat he would hold continuously until he assumed the presidency in 2005. During the 1990s, Rajapaksa held several ministerial positions under Presidents D. B. Wijetunga and Chandrika Kumaratunga. He served as Minister of Labour and Vocational Training from August 1994 to 1997, and subsequently as Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development from 1997 to 2001.

In February 2002, Rajapaksa was appointed Leader of the Opposition, a role he held until April 2004. During this period, the government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was engaged in a ceasefire and peace process with the LTTE. Rajapaksa and the opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party were critical of the peace process, arguing that it made too many concessions to the Tamil Tigers.

Prime Minister (2004–2005)

On 6 April 2004, Rajapaksa was appointed Prime Minister of Sri Lanka by President Chandrika Kumaratunga following the parliamentary elections that saw the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) — a coalition led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party — win a plurality of seats. During his tenure as prime minister, he also served as Minister of Finance from April 2004 to November 2005. His period as prime minister was relatively brief, as it served as a stepping stone to the presidency following Kumaratunga's completion of her maximum two terms.

Presidency: First Term (2005–2010)

Rajapaksa won the 2005 presidential election, succeeding Chandrika Kumaratunga on 19 November 2005. The election was closely contested, with Rajapaksa narrowly defeating the United National Party candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe. A significant factor in the election outcome was the LTTE's enforcement of a voter boycott in the Tamil-majority north and east, which denied Wickremesinghe a substantial portion of his potential voter base.

Upon assuming office, Rajapaksa adopted a hardline stance toward the LTTE, departing from the ceasefire that had been in place since 2002. He assumed the Defence portfolio himself and appointed his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa as Secretary of Defence. Under their combined leadership, the Sri Lankan military launched a renewed military campaign against the LTTE. The ceasefire formally collapsed in 2006, and fighting intensified across the north and east of the country.

By late 2006, the conflict had escalated significantly. The Sri Lankan military, bolstered by increased defence spending and a strengthened naval force, began making territorial gains against the LTTE. Rajapaksa maintained that a military solution was necessary to end the decades-long conflict and rejected international calls for a return to negotiations.

The final phase of the civil war, which took place between late 2008 and May 2009, resulted in the complete military defeat of the LTTE. The Sri Lankan military recaptured all LTTE-held territory and killed the organisation's leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, in May 2009. Rajapaksa declared victory and was celebrated by many Sinhalese Sri Lankans as the leader who had ended the civil war.

However, the final military operations were accompanied by severe allegations of human rights abuses. International investigations and media reports documented claims of indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas, extrajudicial killings, and the denial of humanitarian access to conflict zones. A Channel 4 investigation presented evidence of war crimes allegedly committed by Sri Lankan soldiers during the final stages of the conflict. The United Nations estimated that tens of thousands of Tamil civilians may have been killed in the final phase of the war. Rajapaksa's government consistently denied the allegations and rejected international calls for independent investigations.

Presidency: Second Term (2010–2015)

Rajapaksa called an early presidential election in January 2010 and won re-election, defeating his former army commander Sarath Fonseka, who had defected to the opposition. Fonseka, who had led the military campaign against the LTTE, contested the election alleging that Rajapaksa was monopolising credit for the war victory and consolidating authoritarian control. After the election, Fonseka was arrested and convicted by a military court on charges that were characterised by his supporters and international observers as politically motivated.

During his second term, Rajapaksa consolidated power through constitutional changes. The 18th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution, passed in 2010, removed the two-term limit on the presidency and expanded the president's powers over appointments to the judiciary and independent commissions. Critics argued that the amendment undermined democratic checks and balances and moved Sri Lanka toward authoritarianism.

Rajapaksa served simultaneously as Minister of Finance and Minister of Defence and Urban Development throughout much of his presidency. This concentration of portfolios was reflective of a broader pattern in which key government positions were held by members of the Rajapaksa family. His brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa served as Defence Secretary, Basil Rajapaksa served as Minister of Economic Development, and Chamal Rajapaksa served as Speaker of Parliament.

During his presidency, Sri Lanka undertook major infrastructure projects, including the construction of the Hambantota Port, the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, and a new expressway network. Many of these projects were financed through Chinese loans, and several later became subjects of controversy due to their economic viability and the debt burden they placed on the country.

Press Freedom Concerns

Rajapaksa's presidency was marked by significant concerns over press freedom. International media organisations, including Reporters Without Borders, documented a deterioration in conditions for journalists in Sri Lanka under his government. Several journalists were killed, disappeared, or fled the country during his tenure. The Sunday Leader, a prominent independent newspaper, reported extensively on threats to freedom of expression during this period. A group of Sri Lankan journalists wrote an open letter detailing the challenges they faced, which was reported by Channel 4 News.

2015 Presidential Defeat

Rajapaksa called an early presidential election for January 2015, seeking a third term made possible by the 18th Amendment. In a result that surprised many observers, he was defeated by Maithripala Sirisena, a former cabinet minister who had defected from the ruling coalition. Sirisena ran on a platform of restoring democratic norms, curbing presidential power, and investigating corruption. Rajapaksa left office on 9 January 2015.

Later in 2015, Rajapaksa attempted to return to power by contesting the August parliamentary election as a candidate for prime minister under the United People's Freedom Alliance banner. While the UPFA was defeated, Rajapaksa personally won a parliamentary seat representing the Kurunegala District and remained a Member of Parliament.

2018 Constitutional Crisis

On 26 October 2018, President Maithripala Sirisena appointed Rajapaksa as Prime Minister after withdrawing the UPFA from the unity government with the United National Party. The incumbent prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, refused to accept his dismissal, asserting it was unconstitutional. The resulting dispute triggered a constitutional crisis. Parliament passed two no-confidence motions against Rajapaksa on 14 and 16 November 2018, but President Sirisena rejected both, failing to follow proper constitutional procedures. On 3 December 2018, the courts suspended Rajapaksa's powers as prime minister, ruling that his cabinet could not function until its legitimacy was established. Rajapaksa resigned from the post on 15 December 2018. Ranil Wickremesinghe was subsequently re-appointed as prime minister, and Rajapaksa was made Leader of the Opposition, a position he held from December 2018 to November 2019.

Return as Prime Minister (2019–2022)

In 2019, Rajapaksa became the leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), a party that had been established as a political vehicle aligned with his interests after splitting from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Following the victory of his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the November 2019 presidential election, Mahinda Rajapaksa was appointed Prime Minister on 21 November 2019. He also assumed the portfolio of Minister of Finance, which he held from November 2019 until July 2021, when he was succeeded in that role by his brother Basil Rajapaksa.

The SLPP won a two-thirds supermajority in the August 2020 parliamentary elections, and Rajapaksa was sworn in as Prime Minister for the fourth time on 9 August 2020.

2022 Economic Crisis and Resignation

By early 2022, Sri Lanka was experiencing a severe economic crisis characterised by foreign exchange shortages, spiralling inflation, fuel and food scarcity, and prolonged power outages. The country defaulted on its sovereign debt for the first time since independence. The crisis was attributed by many economists and political analysts to fiscal mismanagement, unsustainable debt levels from large infrastructure projects, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism revenue, and policy decisions such as a sweeping tax cut introduced in 2019.

Mass protests, known as the "Aragalaya" (struggle), erupted across Sri Lanka in March and April 2022, with demonstrators calling for the resignation of both President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Protesters referred to Mahinda Rajapaksa by the derisive nickname "Myna" and demanded accountability for the economic collapse, alleging corruption and mismanagement by the Rajapaksa family.

On 9 May 2022, supporters of Rajapaksa, reportedly transported by buses and led by SLPP members of parliament, gathered at the prime minister's official residence. Violence erupted when these supporters attacked peaceful protesters, triggering retaliatory violence against ruling party politicians' properties across the country. Rajapaksa resigned as Prime Minister on 9 May 2022. His brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa subsequently fled the country and resigned as president in July 2022. Ranil Wickremesinghe succeeded them both, first as prime minister and then as president.

Post-Resignation

Following his departure from office, Rajapaksa continued to represent the Kurunegala District in parliament until September 2024. In September 2025, state-funded perks and security provisions for Rajapaksa were reduced, and he returned to his family residence in Tangalle. He subsequently returned a bulletproof vehicle that had been provided to him by the state. In October 2025, his former Chief Security Officer, Neville Wanniarachchi, was remanded on charges related to undeclared assets. In November 2025, Rajapaksa was hospitalised in Colombo following a medical emergency.

Personal Life

Mahinda Rajapaksa is married to Shiranthi Rajapaksa (née Wickremesinghe). The couple have three sons: Namal Rajapaksa, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, and Rohitha Rajapaksa. Namal Rajapaksa followed his father into politics and served as a member of parliament and cabinet minister. Yoshitha Rajapaksa served in the Sri Lanka Navy.

The Rajapaksa family has maintained residences at Carlton House in Tangalle and the ancestral family home, Medamulana Walawwa, in the Hambantota District. The family's roots in the southern Sinhalese heartland have been a significant element of their political identity.

The concentration of political power within the Rajapaksa family became a defining and contentious feature of Sri Lankan governance during Mahinda Rajapaksa's presidency and subsequent return to power. At the height of the family's influence, his brothers Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa, and Chamal Rajapaksa all held senior government or military positions simultaneously, leading critics to characterise the arrangement as dynastic rule.

Recognition

Rajapaksa received significant recognition within Sri Lanka for the conclusion of the civil war in 2009. The military defeat of the LTTE was celebrated widely among the Sinhalese majority population, and Rajapaksa was credited as the political leader who oversaw the end of the conflict. Infrastructure developments during his presidency, including highways and port facilities, were also cited by supporters as achievements of his tenure.

Internationally, however, Rajapaksa's record has been subject to sustained criticism. The United Nations and international human rights organisations called for independent investigations into alleged war crimes during the final phase of the civil war. Channel 4 broadcast multiple documentaries presenting evidence of atrocities allegedly committed by Sri Lankan security forces during the conflict's conclusion. The Rajapaksa government rejected these allegations and characterised international scrutiny as interference in Sri Lanka's domestic affairs.

Rajapaksa addressed the United Nations General Assembly during his presidency, presenting Sri Lanka's position on the conflict and its aftermath.

Legacy

Mahinda Rajapaksa's political legacy is deeply contested. Within the Sinhalese majority community, he is regarded by many as the leader who ended the civil war and restored territorial integrity to Sri Lanka after decades of conflict. The military victory over the LTTE in 2009 remains the central achievement cited by his supporters, and his populist style and connection to the rural south gave him a durable political base.

His critics, however, point to multiple dimensions of his legacy that they view as damaging to Sri Lanka. The alleged war crimes during the final phase of the civil war remain unresolved, with international bodies continuing to call for accountability. The constitutional changes enacted during his presidency, particularly the 18th Amendment, were characterised as authoritarian by democratic governance organisations. The infrastructure projects financed through heavy borrowing, particularly from China, contributed to the debt burden that played a role in the 2022 economic crisis.

The Rajapaksa family's domination of Sri Lankan politics, with multiple family members holding key positions simultaneously, has been cited as emblematic of governance challenges in the country. The 2022 economic crisis and the mass protests that followed represented a dramatic reversal for the family's political fortunes, resulting in their removal from all major positions of power for the first time in nearly two decades.

The reduction of state perks and security provisions for Rajapaksa following the change in government in 2024–2025 signalled a further diminishment of his status within Sri Lankan political life.

As of 2026, Rajapaksa continues to comment on national and international affairs, including the potential impact of the Middle East conflict on Sri Lanka's future.