Ethnicity Sinhalese Traditions Buddhist | Current region Hambantota | |
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Place of origin Medamulana, Weeraketiya Members D. A. Rajapaksa
Chamal Rajapaksa
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
Basil Rajapaksa
Namal Rajapaksa | ||
The Rajapaksa family is a Sri Lankan family that is prominent in politics. It was one of Sri Lanka's most powerful families during Mahinda Rajapaksa's Presidency, where many members of the family occupied their senior positions in the Sri Lankan state. As their political power grew, there were reports suggesting that the country was heading towards autocracy under their rule. Following the unexpected defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa in the 2015 Presidential Election, they have been accused of authoritarianism, corruption, nepotism and bad governance.
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The Rajapaksas became unpopular among of the minority ethnics over their support to the Buddhist extremist Bodu Bala Sena that attacks on minority ethnics; however, the Rajapaksas enjoy great popularity among majority of Sinhala population because of the victory over the Tamil Tigers in 2009.
History
The Rajapaksas are a rural land-owning family from the village Giruwapattuwa in the southern district of Hambantota. The family owned paddy fields and coconut plantations. One of its members, Don David Rajapaksa, held the feudal post of Vidanarachchi in Ihala Valikada Korale. The family entered the political scene when Don David Rajapaksa's son Don Mathew Rajapaksa was elected in 1936 to represent Hambantota district in the State Council. Don Mathew died in 1945 and at the resulting by-election his brother Don Alwin Rajapaksa was elected without a contest. At the 1947 parliamentary election two members of the family were elected to represent both of the constituencies in Hambantota district. Don Alwin Rajapaksa was elected MP for Beliatta and Lakshman Rajapaksa (Don Mathew's son) was elected MP for Hambantota. The Rajapaksas continued to dominate politics in Hambantota district for next three decades with two other members of the family (George Rajapaksa and Mahinda Rajapaksa) also entering parliament. The Rajapaksas were represented in the country's legislatures continuously from 1936 till 1977. The family wasn't represented in parliament after the UNP landslide at the 1977 parliamentary election.
The family re-emerged as the dominant political force in Hambantota district when Mahinda and his brother Chamal Rajapaksa were elected in 1989 Parliamentary election to represent Hambantota Electoral District. They were later joined by Nirupama Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa and Namal Rajapaksa.
Although the Rajapaksas had dominated politics in Hambantota District since 1936, national politics had been dominated by other families such as Senanayakes and Bandaranaikes. This changed in 2005 when Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected president. Since then members of the family have been appointed to senior political positions. Immediately after being elected president Mahinda appointed his brother Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as Defence Secretary (the most senior civil service position in the Ministry of Defence). Another brother, Basil Rajapaksa, was appointed Senior Presidential Advisor. In 2010 Mahinda Rajapaksa was re-elected President contesting against a grand opposition coalition that included UNP, TNA, JVP. At the 2010 Parliamentary Elections, Chamal Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa and Namal Rajapaksa were elected. Basil Rajapaksa received 425,100 preferential votes from the Gampaha District, the highest by any candidate at the 2010 General election while Namal Rajapaksa obtained 147,568 preferential votes from Hambantota District, the highest majority percentage-wise at the election. Subsequently, Chamal was elected as the Speaker of Parliament unanimously and Basil was appointed as the Minister of Economic Development. Between them the three Rajapaksa brothers are in charge of five government ministries: Defence & Urban Development, Law & Order, Economic Development, Finance & Planning and Ports & Highways. At one point the brothers reportedly directly controlled 70% of the national budget. The Rajapaksas denied having control over such amounts. According to the 2014 budget the brothers have been allocated 47% of the national budget (40% of recurrent budget and 57% of capital budget).
Numerous other members of the extended family have also been appointed to senior positions state institutions.
The accumulation of so much power by one family has inevitably led to accusations of nepotism. The Rajapaksas deny the charges of nepotism even though large amount of corruption, such as the censorship of journalists and the family's unwillingness to yield power to recent victorious Tamils in Northern Sri Lanka, exist everywhere the country.
After the defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa's administration which resulted in the loss of their senior positions, some brothers of Mahinda Rajapaksa have fled from the country to avoid being arrested on their corruption and wrongdoer charges, as they fear because they could have been labelled as fugitive by the Sirisena Government.
Political scandal
Following the 2015 Presidential election defeat Rajapaksa family were accused of misusing public resource during the campaign and including use of Sri Lankan Air Force in the Presidential Election campaign that cost $17,273.28 (Rs. 2,278,000.00) of public fund. Rajapaksa family received numerous of state resource abuse complaint from organisations and election monitors including on their involvement in fraud, misuse of powers and murder – prior to their fraudulent cases are money laundering that said to have taken $5.31 billion (Rs. 700 billion) out of country illegally through Central Bank using Mahinda Rajapaksa's close association Ajith Nivard Cabraal the former governor of Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
On 23 January 2015, The Seychelles government announced that would assist Sri Lankan government in search of funds that were transferred by Rajapaksa regime into Port Victoria offshore bank accounts.
Earlier February 2015 India pledged to help the Sirisena Government in tracing the billion of dollars that were taken out of the country illegally. Instantly the Sirisena's government sought help from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in locating this hidden wealth to expose the alleged corruption of the previous regime. Anti-Corruption Unit led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the new Cabinet has appointed 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 Rajapaksa family and the close association of Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Family tree
1. Don David Rajapaksa, Vidane Arachchi (colonial post) + Dona Gimara Moonesinghe
Dissanayake
2. Samarasinghe Dissanayake
2.1. Dandina Samarasinghe Dissanayake + Don Alwin Rajapaksa (1905-1967), Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Government Minister, Member of Parliament for Beliatta (1947-60, 1960-65) 2.2. Nanda Samarasinghe Dissanayake* (d.2012) + Wilbert Weeratunga 2.2.1. Udayanga Weeratunga, Ambassador to the Russian Federation 2.2.2. Ramani Weeratunga 2.2.3. Dayani Weeratunga 2.2.4. Gayani WeeratungaWickremasinghe
3. Commodore E. P. Wickremasinghe + Violet Wickramasinghe (died 2008)
3.1. Nishantha Wickramasinghe, Chairman of SriLankan Airlines, Chairman of Mihin Lanka 3.1.1. Dilshan Wickramasinghe, CEO of Asset Networks (Pvt) Ltd/Asset Holdings (Pvt) Ltd 3.1.2. Shehan Wickramasinghe , SLAF Pilot. 3.2. Shiranthi Rajapaksa (née Wickremasinghe)** + Mahinda Rajapaksa (b. 1945), President (2005-), Prime Minister (2004-05), Minister of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Development (2000-01), Leader of Opposition (2002-04), Chief Opposition Whip (2001-02), Member of Parliament for Beliatta (1970-77), Member of Parliament for Hambantota District (1989-2005) 3.3. Srimal Wickramasinghe, Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister at Embassy in Vienna3.3.1. Tishan Wickramasinghe 3.3.2. Mishan Wickramasinghe