Gotabaya Rajapaksa facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids His Excellency Gotabaya Rajapaksa RWP RSP
ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ கோட்டாபய ராஜபக்ஷ
Rajapaksa in 2019

8th President of Sri Lanka
In office 18 November 2019 – 14 July 2022
Prime Minister	Ranil Wickremesinghe Mahinda Rajapaksa
Preceded by	Maithripala Sirisena
Succeeded by	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Minister of Defence
In office 28 November 2019 – 14 July 2022
President	Himself
Prime Minister	Mahinda Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe
Preceded by	Maithripala Sirisena
Succeeded by	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Minister of Technology
In office 26 November 2020 – 14 July 2022
President	Himself
Prime Minister	Mahinda Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe
Preceded by	Susil Premajayantha
Succeeded by	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development
In office 19 November 2005 – 9 January 2015
President	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Minister	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Preceded by	Asoka Jayawardena
Succeeded by	B. M. U. D. Basnayake

Personal details
Born	Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa (1949-06-20) 20 June 1949 (age 76) Palatuwa, Dominion of Ceylon
Citizenship	Sri Lanka (1949–2003, 2005–present) United States (2003–2019)
Political party	Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
Spouse	Ayoma Rajapaksa (m. 1980)
Children	1
Parents	Don Alwin Rajapaksa (father) Dandina Samarasinghe née Dissanayake (mother)
Relatives	Chamal (brother) Mahinda (brother) Basil (brother)
Education	Sri Lanka Military Academy University of Colombo
Military service
Allegiance	Sri Lanka
Branch/service	Sri Lanka Army
Years of service	1971–1991
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Unit	Gajaba Regiment
Commands	1st Gajaba Regiment General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy
Battles/wars	Sri Lankan Civil War 1987–1989 JVP insurrection
Awards	Rana Wickrama Padakkama Rana Sura Padakkama

Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa (born 20 June 1949) is a former Sri Lankan politician and military officer. He was the eighth President of Sri Lanka from November 2019 until he stepped down in July 2022. Before becoming president, he was a top official in the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development from 2005 to 2015. This was during the final part of the Sri Lankan Civil War, when his older brother Mahinda Rajapaksa was president.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa comes from a family involved in politics in Sri Lanka's Southern Province. He went to Ananda College, Colombo and joined the Ceylon Army in 1971. He became an officer in charge of communications and later moved to infantry units. He fought in the early parts of the Sri Lankan Civil War with a special army unit called the Gajaba Regiment. He took part in important military operations and also helped stop rebellions.

After leaving the army, Rajapaksa worked in information technology. He then moved to the United States in 1998. He returned to Sri Lanka in 2005 to help his brother's election campaign. He was then made Defence Secretary. During his time in this role, the Sri Lankan Armed Forces successfully ended the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009. After the war, Rajapaksa started many projects to improve cities. He left his role after his brother lost the 2015 presidential election.

Rajapaksa became the candidate for the SLPP party in the 2019 Sri Lankan presidential election. He won by focusing on national pride, growing the economy, and keeping the country safe. He was the first president of Sri Lanka who had a military background. He was also the first elected president who had never held an elected political job before. During his time as president, he made his presidential powers stronger. Many of his family members were also given important jobs. He led the country during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Poor handling of the economy led the country to run out of money. Sri Lanka could not pay its debts for the first time since 1948. This economic crisis caused shortages and high prices. This led to protests and a political crisis.

The Rajapaksa government declared a state of emergency. This allowed the military to arrest people and set curfews. They also limited social media and arrested online activists. Rajapaksa refused to step down, even as protests became violent. On 14 July, he left the country by military plane. He sent his resignation letter from Singapore the next day. Rajapaksa later returned to Sri Lanka on 2 September.

Early Life and Education

Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa was born in Palatuwa, Matara District. He was the fifth of nine children. He grew up in Weeraketiya in the Hambantota district. His family is well-known in Sri Lankan politics. His father, D. A. Rajapaksa, was a famous politician and a Cabinet Minister.

His older brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, became a Member of Parliament in 1970. He later became the Leader of the Opposition, Prime Minister, and then President of Sri Lanka in 2005. Two of Gotabaya's other brothers, Chamal Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa, are also Members of Parliament. Gotabaya Rajapaksa went to Ananda College, Colombo for his schooling.

Military Career (1971–1991)

Starting His Army Journey

Rajapaksa joined the Sri Lankan Army as a Cadet Officer on 26 April 1971. Sri Lanka was then a British Commonwealth country. He joined during the 1971 JVP insurrection, a time of unrest. After his basic training, he became a Second Lieutenant in the Sri Lanka Signals Corps in May 1972. He then trained as a signals officer in Pakistan.

When he returned, he worked as a signals officer in Palaly. In April 1974, he was promoted to Lieutenant. In October, he moved to the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment as an infantry officer. He continued his training in India. In 1977, he became a Captain. He then worked as an officer instructor at the Army Training Centre in Diyatalawa. He also helped prepare a report for the Defense Ministry.

In 1980, he joined the new Rajarata Rifles regiment. He helped set up its headquarters. He also attended a counter-insurgency school in India. In 1982, he studied at the Defence Services Staff College in India. He earned a master's degree in Defence and Strategic Studies.

Joining the Gajaba Regiment

While Rajapaksa was studying in India, his regiment, the Rajarata Rifles, merged with another. This formed the Gajaba Regiment. When he returned, he became second-in-command of the 1st Battalion, Gajaba Regiment (1GR). This was unusual, as officers usually got a staff job after staff college. The 1GR was sent to the Jaffna peninsula several times as the Sri Lankan Civil War grew.

In 1985, he led a group of new soldiers. They successfully ambushed a group from the LTTE. For this, President J. R. Jayewardene praised him. In 1987, he led the 1GR in Operation Liberation. This operation aimed to free Vadamarachi from the LTTE. In July 1987, the 1GR moved to Colombo. Rajapaksa helped secure Colombo during the second JVP rebellion.

In December 1987, he became a Staff Officer at Army Headquarters. In 1988, he attended an advanced infantry course in the United States. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel during this course. In July 1989, he became the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Gajaba Regiment. His unit moved to Matale. Rajapaksa became the military coordinating officer for the Matale District. He led efforts to stop the rebellion there until it ended in December 1989.

In 1990, he commanded the 1GR in Weli Oya. He also took part in Operation "Strike Hard" and Operation Thrividha Balaya in Jaffna. In January 1991, he became Deputy Commandant of the Kotelawala Defence Academy. He held this job until he left the army early on 1 November 1991.

Life After the Army

After leaving the army, Rajapaksa studied information technology at the University of Colombo. In 1992, he joined an IT company in Colombo as a Marketing Manager. In 1998, he moved to the United States. There, he worked at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles as a Systems Integrator.

Secretary of Defence and Urban Development (2005–2015)

In 2005, Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka from the United States. He came back to help his brother's presidential election campaign. He got his Sri Lankan citizenship back, but he also kept his US citizenship. In November 2005, newly elected President Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed Gotabaya as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence. In this role, he oversaw the military operations that defeated the LTTE in May 2009.

As Defence Secretary, Rajapaksa also started projects to make Colombo more beautiful. These projects improved public places and parks in the city. In 2011, the Ministry of Defence was renamed the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development. This was because it took on responsibilities for city development. His work helped Colombo become one of the fastest-developing cities in the world in 2015.

Attack on His Motorcade

On 1 December 2006, someone tried to attack Rajapaksa. An assassin tried to drive a vehicle full of explosives into his motorcade in Colombo. Special army commandos guarding him stopped the vehicle before it reached his car. Two commandos died instantly. Rajapaksa was not hurt. The LTTE group was blamed for this attack.

Working with the Karuna Faction

Gotabaya Rajapaksa is known for working with the Karuna faction during the war. This group helped defeat the LTTE. A former LTTE commander, Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, also known as Colonel Karuna, said that Rajapaksa helped him get a fake diplomatic passport. This allowed him to go to Britain in 2007. Sri Lankan officials and Rajapaksa denied these claims.

Views on the United Nations

In June 2007, Rajapaksa strongly criticized the United Nations (UN) and Western governments. He said that terrorists had influenced the UN for many years. He also claimed that Britain and the EU were trying to control Sri Lanka. He stated that Sri Lanka did not need their help. He also said they did not give much aid to the country.

2019 Presidential Election Campaign

It was widely thought that Gotabaya Rajapaksa would run in the 2020 elections. He denied this at first. However, he later said he would accept if he was offered the chance to be a candidate.

Lawsuit in the United States

In April 2019, Lasantha Wickrematunge's daughter, Ahimsa Wickrematunge, filed a lawsuit against Gotabaya Rajapaksa in California. Her lawsuit claimed that Rajapaksa was involved in her father's death. Rajapaksa was in the U.S. to give up his citizenship when he received the legal papers.

When Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka, his supporters and Buddhist clergy welcomed him. The lawsuit made it harder for him to give up his US citizenship. Rajapaksa said the lawsuit was "politically motivated." He believed it was meant to stop him from running in the election.

On 21 October 2019, a US court dismissed the case. The court said Rajapaksa had immunity as a foreign official for actions taken as Defence Secretary. However, in February 2020, another court allowed Wickrematunge's daughter to ask for the case to be dismissed without prejudice.

On 11 August 2019, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party announced that Rajapaksa would be their candidate. He ran on a platform of national pride, economic growth, and national security. He won with 6,924,255 votes, which was 52.25% of the total votes. He had a majority of 1,360,016 votes over his opponent, Sajith Premadasa. Rajapaksa won most of the votes in areas where Sinhalese people live. Premadasa won in areas with Tamil and Muslim minorities. These areas had been affected by the civil war.

Citizenship Questions

During the campaign, some political parties said that Rajapaksa had American citizenship. They claimed he had lived in America for over ten years and was not a Sri Lankan citizen. There were also claims that he had a fake Sri Lankan passport. Court cases were filed against him about his citizenship and passport. His older brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, was also accused of using his power to give Gotabaya Sri Lankan citizenship in 2005. On 4 October 2019, a court dismissed the challenge to Gotabaya's citizenship. This allowed him to run in the election.

Presidency (2019–2022)

President Rajapaksa meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a state visit to India

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa meeting Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a visit to Sri Lanka

Rajapaksa became president at a ceremony in Anuradhapura on 18 November 2019. This was the first elected job he had ever held. He was also the first president who was not a career politician and had been a military officer. After becoming president, he said he would form a new government. He also took charge of the defence ministry himself. On 19 November 2019, he appointed new officials. These included P. B. Jayasundera as Secretary to the President and Kamal Gunaratne as Secretary of Defence.

On 20 November, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe agreed to step down. This allowed Rajapaksa to form a temporary government until new parliamentary elections could be held. The presidential office also asked all provincial governors to resign. On 21 November, he appointed his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister. The next day, he appointed a 15-member Cabinet of Ministers. This made Sri Lanka the second country in the world to have brothers serving as both president and prime minister at the same time. Later, after protests, Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed a new Cabinet. He removed three of his relatives, including two brothers and a nephew, from the Cabinet. Mahinda Rajapaksa remained Prime Minister.

COVID-19 Pandemic Response

The COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka began in March 2020. At first, Rajapaksa did not want to lock down the country. But he later imposed a curfew as cases increased. Rajapaksa dissolved parliament on 2 March. The election was first set for 25 April 2020, but then postponed to 20 June 2020. His government's policies, like tax cuts and printing money, are said to have caused the economic and food crisis.

2020 Parliamentary Election

The General Election was held on 5 August 2020. The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) won a big victory. They got 145 out of 225 seats. The main opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya, won only 54 seats. The SLPP's win was mainly due to their success in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also helped by negative public opinion about the previous government. That government was blamed for failing to prevent the 2019 Easter attacks.

Environmental Policies

Under President Gotabaya, the Sri Lankan government changed how some forests were managed. These "other state forests" were given to regional authorities. The goal was to use them for farming and development. Environmental groups criticized this. They said it led to government-supported cutting down of trees. They also worried about unregulated logging in areas with many different types of plants and animals.

Farming Challenges

In April 2021, Rajapaksa announced that the whole country would switch to organic farming. However, by February 2022, most farmers said they had not received training in organic methods. The 2021 rice harvest failed. This led to a large emergency food aid program and money to help farmers. The government also had to import a lot of rice. Rajapaksa's sudden and difficult move to organic farming was criticized internationally. The policies were reduced before the year ended. By April 2022, the government had changed its mind. It was seeking a loan to bring back imported farm chemicals. This was because production had dropped a lot.

Economic Troubles and Resignation

Protesters outside the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo during the 2022 Sri Lankan protests

The Rajapaksa government cut taxes a lot in late 2019. This caused government income to drop. The COVID-19 pandemic made things worse. Sri Lanka lost a lot of money from tourism. By late 2021, Sri Lanka faced a debt crisis. It was possible the country would not be able to pay its debts. In early 2022, the Rajapaksa government avoided getting help from the IMF. They wanted to solve the debt crisis themselves. This used up the country's foreign money and gold reserves.

In March, the currency lost 30% of its value against the dollar. This led to major shortages of fuel, food, and medicine. A poll in March 2022 showed that only 10% of people approved of the government. This was because of the crisis. The Rajapaksa government finally asked the IMF for help in March. Public protests grew because of shortages of electricity, fuel, cooking gas, medicine, and food. On 31 March, protesters went to Rajapaksa's private home. The situation became violent, and police had to break up the crowds. On 3 April, the entire cabinet resigned. Rajapaksa offered to form a national government, but other parties refused.

On 18 April, Rajapaksa appointed 17 new cabinet members from his party. This showed that he might not be listening to the protesters' demands.

Leaving Office and Return

On 9 July 2022, Rajapaksa left his official home in Colombo. Protesters then broke through barriers and entered the building. Protesters were seen in the mansion, even swimming in the president's pool. Later that evening, the Speaker of Parliament said the president would resign on 13 July 2022. On 11 July, military sources said the President was on a Navy ship. Later, the Speaker said he was still in the country. It was revealed that the Navy had taken Rajapaksa and his wife from the President's House on 9 July. They boarded a ship that sailed in Sri Lankan waters. This kept Rajapaksa safe from protesters but allowed him to communicate.

On 12 July, it was reported that immigration staff stopped Rajapaksa from leaving the country. His request for a US visa was denied. On the morning of 13 July, Rajapaksa left Sri Lanka on a military plane to the Maldives. There were protests in the Maldives when he arrived. While there, he said he could not do his presidential duties because he was away. He appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as acting president. However, Rajapaksa had not officially resigned on 13 July as he had said he would. On 14 July, Rajapaksa left the Maldives for Singapore. Singapore's government said he was allowed to enter for a private visit. They said he did not ask for or get asylum. Later that day, President Rajapaksa sent his resignation letter to the Speaker of Parliament by email. This officially announced his resignation. Rajapaksa was the first Sri Lankan president to resign in the middle of his term.

On 2 September, Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka. This ended his 52-day self-imposed absence.

After Being President

Coming Back to Sri Lanka

On 2 September 2022, Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka. This ended his time away from the country. When he returned, he was given a new official home and security, as is given to former presidents.

Court Decision on Economic Management

On 14 November 2023, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka made a decision. They found Rajapaksa, his brothers Mahinda and Basil, and other officials guilty of poor economic management between 2019 and 2022. The court said they had violated people's basic rights. The court ordered them to pay a small amount for legal costs.

Awards and Honors

Military Awards

During his 20 years in the military, Rajapaksa received medals from three Sri Lankan Presidents. These include gallantry medals like the Rana Wickrama Padakkama and Rana Sura Padakkama. He also received service medals and campaign medals. As Defence Secretary, he received the Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medal and the Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal.

Ribbon	Name	Date awarded
	Rana Wickrama Padakkama (RWP)	1994
	Rana Sura Padakkama (RSP)	1994
	Desha Putra Sammanaya	1994
	Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medal (with clasp)	2010
	Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal (with clasp)	2010
	Purna Bhumi Padakkama	1984
	North and East Operations Medal	1986
	Vadamarachchi Operation Medal	1987
	Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal	1984
	President's Inauguration Medal	1978

Honorary Degrees

Gotabaya Rajapaksa received an honorary doctorate, a Doctor of Letters, from the University of Colombo on 6 September 2009. He received it along with his brother, President Mahinda Rajapaksa. This was after they were widely praised as war heroes.

Environmental Awards

In July 2020, he received a Zero carbon certificate. This was for running his election campaign for the SLPP in an environmentally friendly way. His election campaign was the first "zero carbon" election campaign in the world.