Mahinda Rajapaksa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksa
මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ
Rajapaksa in 2018
6th President of Sri Lanka
In office 19 November 2005 – 9 January 2015
Prime Minister	Ratnasiri Wickremanayake D. M. Jayaratne
Preceded by	Chandrika Kumaratunga
Succeeded by	Maithripala Sirisena
13th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
In office 21 November 2019 – 9 May 2022
President	Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Preceded by	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Succeeded by	Ranil Wickremesinghe
In office 26 October 2018 – 15 December 2018
President	Maithripala Sirisena
Preceded by	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Succeeded by	Ranil Wickremesinghe
In office 6 April 2004 – 19 November 2005
President	Chandrika Kumaratunga
Preceded by	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Succeeded by	Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
12th Leader of the Opposition
In office 18 December 2018 – 21 November 2019
President	Maithripala Sirisena
Prime Minister	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Preceded by	R. Sampanthan
Succeeded by	Sajith Premadasa
In office 6 February 2002 – 2 April 2004
President	Chandrika Kumaratunga
Prime Minister	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Preceded by	Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
Succeeded by	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Cabinet posts Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka In office 22 November 2019 – 8 July 2021 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Preceded by Mangala Samaraweera Succeeded by Basil Rajapaksa In office 23 November 2005 – 9 January 2015 President Himself Preceded by Sarath Amunugama Succeeded by Ravi Karunanayake Minister of Defence and Urban Development In office 19 November 2005 – 8 January 2015 President Himself Preceded by Tilak Marapana Succeeded by Maithripala Sirisena Minister of Highways, Ports & Shipping In office 23 April 2010 – 8 January 2015 President Himself Preceded by Mangala Samaraweera Succeeded by Kabir Hashim In office 22 April 2004 – 19 November 2005 President Chandrika Kumaratunga Preceded by Jeyaraj Fernandopulle Succeeded by Mangala Samaraweera Minister of Law and Order In office 26 August 2013 – 8 January 2015 President Himself Preceded by Office established Succeeded by John Amaratunga Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development In office 1997 – 14 September 2001 President Chandrika Kumaratunga Preceded by Indika Gunawardena Succeeded by Mahinda Wijesekara Minister of Labour and Vocational Training In office 19 August 1994 – 1997 President D. B. Wijetunga Chandrika Kumaratunga Preceded by D. B. Wijetunga Succeeded by Alavi Moulana
Constituencies Member of Parliament for Kurunegala In office 17 August 2015 – 24 September 2024 Member of Parliament for Hambantota In office 15 February 1989 – 19 November 2005 Preceded by Constituency established Succeeded by Nirupama Rajapaksa Member of Parliament for Beliatta In office 27 May 1970 – 21 July 1977 Preceded by D.P. Atapattu Succeeded by Ranjit Atapattu
Personal details
Born	Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa (1945-11-18) 18 November 1945 (age 79) Weeraketiya, Southern Province, British Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
Political party	Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (after 2018)
Other political affiliations	Sri Lanka Freedom Party (before 2018)
Spouses	Shiranthi Rajapaksa (née Wickremesinghe)
Children	Namal Yoshitha Rohitha
Relatives	Chamal (brother) Gotabaya (brother) Basil (brother)
Residences	Carlton House, Tangalle Medamulana Walawwa
Alma mater	Sri Lanka Law College
Profession	Attorney
Website	Official website: http://www.mahindarajapaksa.lk

Mahinda Rajapaksa (Sinhala: මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ; Tamil: மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ; born Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa; 18 November 1945) is a Sri Lankan politician. He has held many important roles in the government of Sri Lanka. He was the sixth President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015. He also served as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka three times: from 2004 to 2005, in 2018, and from 2019 to 2022. He was also the Leader of the Opposition and the Minister of Finance.

Mahinda Rajapaksa is a lawyer. He was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970. He led the Sri Lanka Freedom Party from 2005 to 2015. He became president for his first six-year term on 19 November 2005. He was re-elected in 2010 for a second term. In the 2015 presidential election, he lost to Maithripala Sirisena and left office on 9 January 2015.

Later in 2015, Rajapaksa tried to become prime minister in the parliamentary election. His party, the United People's Freedom Alliance, was defeated. However, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Kurunegala District.

On 26 October 2018, President Maithripala Sirisena appointed Rajapaksa as prime minister. This happened after the UPFA left the government. The previous prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said his removal was against the rules. This led to a difficult situation in the government. The Sri Lankan Parliament voted against Rajapaksa twice in November 2018. A court later stopped Rajapaksa's powers as prime minister. He resigned on 15 December 2018. Wickremesinghe was then re-appointed as prime minister. Rajapaksa became the Leader of the Opposition.

Rajapaksa became the leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna in 2019. This party was linked to the former president and had separated from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. He became prime minister again on 21 November 2019. His brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, had just become president. On 9 August 2020, Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as Prime Minister for the fourth time.

In 2022, there were many protests in Sri Lanka. Protesters called him "Myna" and asked him to resign. On 9 May 2022, Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from his post as prime minister. This happened during a time of widespread protests and an unstable situation in the country. The next day, it was officially announced that he had resigned. On 10 May 2022, Rajapaksa and his family moved to the Trincomalee navy base for safety.

Early Life and Education

Mahinda Rajapaksa grew up in his family home in Medamulana. When he was six, he went to Richmond College in Galle. His mother later rented a house in Galle so the family could be together. In the mid-1950s, his family moved to Colombo. Mahinda Rajapaksa then attended Nalanda College, Colombo. In 1957, he moved to Thurstan College. There, he played sports like cricket and rugger. He was also good at athletics, winning the shot put championship.

In the mid-1960s, he worked as a library assistant at Vidyodaya Pirivena. He soon became involved in left-wing politics. He joined the Ceylon Mercantile Union and became its branch secretary in 1967. His father, who had been a Member of Parliament, passed away in November 1967. The leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Sirimavo Bandaranaike, offered his father's political role to his older brother, Chamal. Chamal declined, and Mahinda Rajapaksa was appointed as the SLFP organizer for Beliatta in 1968.

Political Career

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Rajapaksa ran in the 1970 general elections. He was the SLFP candidate for the Beliatta area. He won the election and became a member of the House of Representatives. He was 24 years old, making him the youngest Member of Parliament (MP) at that time. He served as a regular MP for the ruling party.

While serving as an MP, he studied law at the Sri Lanka Law College. In July 1977, Rajapaksa lost his parliamentary seat. This happened when the SLFP lost many seats in the 1977 general elections.

Working as a Lawyer

In November 1977, Rajapaksa became a lawyer. He then started his own law practice in Tangalle. He worked as a criminal lawyer until 1994.

In Opposition

He continued to be active in politics. He was re-elected to parliament in 1989. He represented the Hambantota District. He became well-known as a leader of the Mothers' Front. This group helped mothers whose children had gone missing during a period of unrest.

During this time, Rajapaksa often asked for outside help for Sri Lanka. He spoke in Geneva about the country's situation. He believed it was important to seek help to bring back democracy. He also asked for groups like the United Nations and Amnesty International to investigate. He requested that other countries consider human rights when giving aid to Sri Lanka. In 1994, Rajapaksa appeared in a Sinhalese film called Nomiyena Minisun.

Becoming a Cabinet Minister

In 1994, the People's Alliance party won the election. This party was led by Chandrika Kumaratunga. Rajapaksa was appointed as the Minister of Labor. He held this job until 1997. After a change in the government, he became the Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Leader of the Opposition

In the 2001 elections, the United National Party (UNP) won. Rajapaksa lost his government position. However, he was appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in March 2002.

First Time as Prime Minister (2004–2005)

After the 2004 parliamentary elections, the United People's Freedom Alliance won a small majority. Rajapaksa became the new prime minister. He was sworn in as Sri Lanka's 13th Prime Minister on 6 April 2004. While he was prime minister, he also managed the Ministry of Highways, Ports & Shipping.

Presidency (2005–2015)

First Term as President

Mahinda Rajapaksa was chosen by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to run for president. He ran against Ranil Wickremesinghe in the presidential election on 17 November 2005. Rajapaksa won by a small number of votes. He received 50.3% of the votes.

After becoming President, Rajapaksa changed the government's cabinet. He took on the roles of Minister of Defense and Finance. These new roles began on 23 November 2005. Soon after his election, Rajapaksa extended the term of Sarath Fonseka, who was the head of the Sri Lanka Army. For the next three and a half years, Fonseka and Rajapaksa's brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, led the country's armed forces. They fought against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as Tamil Tigers. The conflict ended with the defeat of the Tigers.

Sri Lankan Civil War

Rajapaksa wanted to end the peace process once he was in power. He joined with Sinhalese nationalist parties like the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). These parties had opposed the original 2002 peace agreement.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the World Economic Forum session in Jordan on 15 May 2009.

An agreement made with Rajapaksa included changes to the ceasefire. These changes gave the military more power against the LTTE. It also ruled out giving more power to the Tamil people. Aid to areas affected by the tsunami that were controlled by the LTTE was stopped. The Norwegian peace facilitators were also sidelined.

After Rajapaksa's election, there were many mine blasts. These were blamed on the LTTE and killed many servicemen and civilians. This brought the country close to civil war again. On 21 July 2006, the LTTE closed the Mavil Aru reservoir. This reservoir supplied water to 15,000 people in government-controlled areas. The Sri Lankan military then launched an attack against the LTTE. They took control of the entire reservoir. More military actions led to the LTTE being pushed out of the Eastern Province. They lost most of the land they had controlled. The Sri Lankan government announced a complete victory on 18 May 2009. On 19 May 2009, President Rajapaksa spoke to the Parliament. He declared that Sri Lanka was free from terrorism.

Second Term as President

Sri Lankan Presidential Election 2010 – Winners of Districts

After the conflict ended, a disagreement grew between Rajapaksa and Fonseka. On 15 November 2009, Rajapaksa asked Fonseka to leave his job as Chief of the Defence Staff. Fonseka then ran against Rajapaksa in the 2010 presidential election. Rajapaksa won this election by a large margin. Fonseka was later put in jail for some offenses. President Rajapaksa signed papers for Fonseka's release in May 2012.

Building New Projects

During his second term, after the civil war ended in 2009, Rajapaksa started many big building projects. These included the Colombo Lotus Tower, the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port, and the Colombo Harbour South Container Terminal. Other projects were the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, the Colombo–Katunayake Expressway, and the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium.

Sri Lanka also improved its Human Development Index during this time. This index measures how well a country is doing in terms of health, education, and living standards. Development projects included new highways and roads. There was also a project to make Colombo more beautiful. Rural areas also saw improvements in their basic facilities.

Changes to Term Limits

After the civil war ended in 2009 and he won the election in 2010, President Rajapaksa gained strong support. He was able to get enough votes in Parliament to change the constitution. This change removed the limit on how many terms a president could serve. On 9 September 2010, Parliament passed this amendment. This allowed Rajapaksa to run for a third term.

This change also gave the president more power. It removed an independent group that the president used to consult before appointing important officials. A new group was created, but it had less power. In January 2013, Rajapaksa removed the chief justice, Shirani Bandaranayake. He then appointed an ally, Mohan Peiris, as the new Chief Justice. In November 2014, the Supreme Court said that Rajapaksa could run for a third term.

In November 2014, Rajapaksa announced he would seek re-election for a third term. His second term was supposed to end in November 2016. However, he could legally run again after serving four years in office.

2015 Presidential Campaign

Sri Lankan Presidential Election 2015 – Winners of polling divisions

Before the election, several people were considered as candidates to run against Rajapaksa. However, on 21 November 2014, Maithripala Sirisena was announced as the main opposition candidate. Sirisena had been a minister in Rajapaksa's government. He was also the general secretary of the SLFP before he joined the opposition. Sirisena quickly received support from former President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Several other MPs also joined him. Sirisena and the other MPs lost their government jobs and were removed from the SLFP.

Rajapaksa received support from some smaller parties that were part of his alliance. On 8 December 2014, two opposition MPs joined Rajapaksa's side. Rajapaksa also got support from a Buddhist group called Bodu Bala Sena.

However, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) party left Rajapaksa's government on 18 November 2014. They said he refused to change the presidency and make reforms. The All Ceylon Makkal Congress and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress also left the government in December 2014. They said the government did not protect Sri Lankan Muslims from some groups.

Rajapaksa released his plan for the country, called Mahinda's Vision — The World Winning Path, on 23 December 2014. He promised to create a new constitution within one year if he was elected. He also said he would change the presidency but not get rid of it.

In the presidential election on 8 January 2015, Rajapaksa lost to his former aide, Maithripala Sirisena. He won only 47.6% of the votes.

After Being President

Prime Ministerial Candidacy in 2015

Rajapaksa tried to become Prime Minister again after losing his presidential bid. This was in the 2015 parliamentary elections. The Prime Minister is a senior member of the cabinet. This person acts as a deputy to the President. The President chooses the Prime Minister, usually the leader of the party in power. Rajapaksa was elected as a Member of Parliament for Kurunegala. However, his party lost the election to Ranil Wickremesinghe's United National Party. Wickremesinghe was then appointed as Prime Minister.

Return to Parliament

Ex. President Rajapaksa meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi in September 2018

Rajapaksa returned to Parliament after his time as president. He was the first former president to do this. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for Kurunegala District.

In 2016, supporters of Rajapaksa created the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party. This was an effort to separate from the SLFP. Rajapaksa was not officially the leader of this new party. However, their first meeting was held in his political office.

Rajapaksa later changed his views on some development projects. He opposed large projects where China planned to invest a lot of money. He also changed his stance on private medical universities. During his rule, he had supported them. But in 2017, he said there needed to be a standard for medical education.

2018 Local Election

Mahinda Rajapaksa's party, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), won a large victory in the 2018 local authority elections. They won 239 out of 340 local government bodies. The SLPP then asked the government to resign and hold new general elections.

2018 Government Crisis

On 26 October 2018, President Maithripala Sirisena appointed Rajapaksa as Prime Minister. This happened after the United People's Freedom Alliance left the government. The previous Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, refused to accept his removal. He said it was against the constitution. This led to a difficult situation in the government.

Sirisena dissolved Parliament on 9 November and called for new elections. On 11 November 2018, Rajapaksa left the SLFP and joined the SLPP. The Supreme Court later stopped the president's decision to dissolve Parliament. Parliament met again soon after. Rajapaksa faced votes of no-confidence. A court also stopped Rajapaksa and his cabinet from working as prime minister and ministers. On 15 December, Rajapaksa resigned from the post of Prime Minister.

Leader of the Opposition (2018–2019)

On 18 December 2018, the Speaker of Parliament announced that Mahinda Rajapaksa had been appointed as Leader of the Opposition. His party, the UPFA, joined the opposition in Parliament. He replaced R. Sampanthan.

Third Time as Prime Minister (2019–2022)

The Rajapaksa family gained power again in the 2019 presidential election in November. His younger brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, won the election and became the new president. Their strong hold on power continued in the parliamentary elections in August 2020. The SLPP won by a large margin and gained a clear majority in parliament. Five members of the Rajapaksa family won seats. Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as the new prime minister.

During the 2022 Sri Lankan protests, the Rajapaksa family was a target. Protesters called him "Myna". They set up a protest site called "MynaGoGama" outside his official residence. On 3 May 2022, opposition leaders called for a vote of no confidence against Rajapaksa and his cabinet. This was an attempt to remove him from power.

On 9 May 2022, Mahinda Rajapaksa's supporters gathered at his residence. They then went to protest sites near Temple Trees and Galle Face. With growing protests and an unstable situation, Prime Minister Rajapaksa resigned from his post on 9 May 2022. The next day, it was officially announced that he had resigned. On 10 May 2022, Rajapaksa and his family moved to the Trincomalee navy base for safety.

2024 Elections and End of Political Career

In the 2024 presidential election, the SLPP chose Mahinda Rajapaksa's son, Namal Rajapaksa, as its presidential candidate. Namal Rajapaksa did not win, finishing in fourth place. After the SLPP's defeat, Mahinda Rajapaksa decided not to run for re-election in the 2024 parliamentary elections. This marked the end of his 54-year political career.

Personal Life and Family

Mahinda Rajapaksa was born Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa on 18 November 1945. He was born in Weeraketiya, a rural area in the southern district of Hambantota. He comes from a well-known political family. His father, D. A. Rajapaksa, took over his brother D. M. Rajapaksa's seat in the State Council of Ceylon in 1945. D. M. Rajapaksa used to wear an earthy brown shawl to represent kurakkan (finger millet), grown by people in his area. Mahinda Rajapaksa later followed his uncle's example and wore a similar shawl.

His father, D. A. Rajapaksa, was a Member of Parliament from 1947 to 1965. He also served as the Cabinet Minister of Agriculture and Land. His mother was Dona Dandina Samarasinghe Dissanayake. Mahinda was the second oldest of nine children. He had six brothers and three sisters. His older siblings are Chamal and Jayanthi. His younger siblings are Tudor, Gotabaya, Basil, Preethi, Dudley, and Gandini.

Many members of Rajapaksa's family are involved in politics today. His brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was the former president of Sri Lanka. He was also a former secretary for the Ministry of Defence. Another brother, Basil Rajapaksa, was elected to Parliament in 2010. He later became the Minister of Economic Development. Basil also served as minister of finance from 2021 until 2022. Mahinda Rajapaksa's oldest brother, Chamal Rajapaksa, was an MP from 1989 to 2024. He was elected Speaker of the 14th Parliament. Other family members in politics include his nephew, Shashindra Rajapaksa, who was the Chief Minister of Uva Province.

In 1983, Rajapaksa married Shiranthi Wickremesinghe. She is a child psychologist and educator. Shiranthi Rajapaksa is the daughter of Commander E. P. Wickremasinghe of the Sri Lanka Navy. The Rajapaksas have three sons: Namal, Yoshitha, and Rohitha. In April 2010, Namal Rajapaksa was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Hambantota District. He received the most votes in his father's former district. Yoshitha Rajapaksa joined the Sri Lanka Navy in March 2009.

Mahinda Rajapaksa is known for being superstitious. He wears special charms and asks astrologers for advice when making decisions. He is known for collecting many valuable rings as lucky charms. Some of these rings have colored stones and elephant hair. Because of this, he has been called "lord of the rings."

Honours and Awards

• 2014: Star of Palestine
• In 2004, he received the Nalanda Keerthi Sri award from his old school, Nalanda College.
• He has received 3 honorary doctorates:
  • A Doctor of Law from the University of Colombo on 6 September 2009.
  • From the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia on 6 February 2010, for his work towards world peace and success in ending terrorism.
  • An honorary doctorate from the Beijing University of Foreign Languages in China in August 2011.
• The Visva Bharati University of Calcutta in India gave him the title Professor Emeritus. This was for his work on human rights.

Images for kids

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  Rajapaksa election posters

See Also

In Spanish: Mahinda Rajapaksa para niños

• List of political families in Sri Lanka
• Mahinda Rajapaksa cabinet