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Mahinda Rajapaksa

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Mahinda Rajapaksa
File:Mahinda Rajapakse.jpg
President of Sri Lanka
Assumed office
19 November 2005
Prime MinisterRatnasiri Wickremanayake
Preceded byChandrika Kumaratunga
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
In office
06 April 2004 – 19 November 2005
PresidentChandrika Kumaratunga
Preceded byRanil Wickremasinghe
Succeeded byRatnasiri Wickremanayake
Personal details
Born (1945-11-18) 18 November 1945 (age 78)
Madamulana, Hambantota, Sri Lanka
Political partyUPFA (SLFP)
SpouseShiranthi Rajapaksa (nee Wickremesinghe)
ChildrenNamal, Yoshitha and Rohitha
ProfessionAttorney, Politician

Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa (commonly known as Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sinhala මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ, [ta] Error: {{Transliteration}}: unrecognized language / script code: mahinda rājapakṣa (help); IPA: [maˈhində ˈraːjəˌpakʂə]; born November 18, 1945) is the current President of Sri Lanka. A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa previously served as the country's Prime Minister from April 6, 2004 until his swearing in as President for a six-year term on November 19, 2005. He is the current Chairman of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).



Premiership

After the Parliamentary Elections of 2004, in which the United People's Freedom Alliance was victorious, there was a struggle between Rajapakse, former Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar and President Chandrika Kumaratunga's brother and former Opposition Leader Anura Bandaranaike for the post of Prime Minister. Kumaratunga was widely expected to appoint Kadirgamar, one of her close advisors, however, due to pressure from grass-root level party supporters, Kumaratunga had to select the more popular Mahinda Rajapaksa instead. Rajapaksa was sworn in as Sri Lanka’s 13th Prime Minister on April 6, 2004.[1]

While Rajapaksa was the Prime Minister, he also held the Ministry of Highways.

  • Initiated "Maga Neguma" project to build rural and city roads and highways, and allocated funds to each and every local government area.
  • Proposed and planned to construct fly-overs to minimize traffic congestion in Colombo.

As Prime Minister, Rajapaksa was also put in charge of the Information and Communication Technology Agency. Following are his accomplishments in that position.

  • Re-energized the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka.
  • Taking the Information Technology (IT) and computer literacy to rural areas under the “Nanasala” project. The Nanasala project is an initiative to introduce several models of the telecentres or knowledge centres to be established in all parts of Sri Lanka to spread ICT services to the rural and semi-urban populations.

Presidency (November 2005 - Present)

After another tussle, Rajapaksa was chosen in front of Anura Bandaranaike, brother of Chandrika Kumaratunga, as the presidential candidate of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party for the Presidential Election held on November 17, 2005. Rajapaksa was up against Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the United National Party in this election. Rajapaksa defeated Wickremasinghe narrowly by 190,000 votes and took office as President on November 19, 2005. His victory was largely due to the mass support from the southern Sinhala-Buddhist voters due to support and endorsement from the JHU and JVP political parties, after having agreed not to divide the country into federal states as the LTTE demanded.[citation needed] Also, in the north-east, the LTTE called for a boycott of the polls from Tamil voters in areas under their control, and forcibly prevented a large section of voters from visiting the polling booths.[2] Rajapaksa received 50.3% of the vote.

After becoming President of Sri Lanka, Rajapaksa reshuffled the cabinet and took the portfolios of Defence and Finance in the new cabinet, which was sworn on November 23, 2005.

Rajapaksa assumed office of the President when the need of the hour was for a decisive economic growth. During the first three years of his tenure, Sri Lanka reawakened under his bold leadership.

During his first 3 years of office, Rajapaksa succeeded in handing down severe defeat to the LTTE terrorists handling the security forces as the Commander in Chief, successfully facing the challenge of routing terrorism. The President should be saluted for taking the initiative and for being the driving force behind the humanitarian operations, giving leadership for soldiers engaged in this task under difficult conditions. A notable feature is the massive development taking place in the country while humanitarian operations are continuing.

The rural community rather than the urban dwellers have identified the outstanding service discharged by the Rajapaksa. His direct foreign policy has registered an indelible mark in Sri Lanka's political history. It was under his leadership that highest number of foreign leaders visited the island. He has created an environment for all public employees to serve in liberty. Not only in Sri Lanka, but the attention of the world is focused on the services he had rendered on behalf of the entire nation during his term of office.

Allegations of corruption

Mahinda Rajapaksa has been accused of corruption by the opposition before his election as President, citing the "Helping Hambantota" case, where he was accused of appropriating close to USD 830,000 into a Treasury approved private fund, known as Helping Hambantota, to help the victims of the Boxing Day tsunami in Hambantota - his hometown and electoral district. Before the election, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka put a hold on the case. Later dismissing the case, Chief Justice Sarath Silva said the court case had been brought as soon as Rajapaksa was nominated as a presidential candidate. "The court sees this as an attempt to get political mileage for [UNP leader] Ranil Wickramasinghe and to discredit Mahinda Rajapaksa." It was told in parliament that the cabinet was aware of the existence of the Helping Hambantota fund. His office said he had held donations in Helping Hambantota fund to speed up the rate at which aid money was being handed out to victims of the 26 December, 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The money in question had been put in a state account and Rajapaksa had not taken "even a cent" for his use, then Prime Minister's secretary Lalith Weeratunga told the AFP news agency at the time.[3]

Political Position

Unlike some members of his coalition, Rajapaksa used to support peace talks with the Tamil Tigers as a means of ending the civil war with the Tamil secessionist movement.

However, immediately following his election victory, a series of mine blasts blamed on the LTTE in the country claimed the lives of many off-duty servicemen and civilians, pushing the country back to the brink of war.[4] Following the closure by the LTTE of a reservoir supplying water to 15,000 people named "Mavil Aru" in government controlled areas on July 21, 2006,[5] the Sri Lankan military launched an offensive against the LTTE, bringing the entire reservoir under government control. Further military engagements have led to the LTTE been driven out of virtually the entire Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. The increased military activities are the reason for a projected 40% increase in defence spending for 2007.[6] [7] [8]

Media Freedom

Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has charged that the Mahinda Rajapaksa's government has turned into a junta, "This junta has control over the economy, business activities and defense. They have unleashed corruption and terror on the country." He claimed that the attack on the Sunday Leader press facility, an independent English weekly could not have occurred without the knowledge of Sri Lankan Defense Ministry, since its located in a High Security Zone, neighboring military air force base, defense academy and a military camp .[9] [10]

Family

He is married to Shiranthi Wickremasinghe daughter of Commander E. P. Wickramasinghe and Mrs. Violet Wickramasinghe[11] and has three sons, Namal, Yoshitha and Rohitha.

References

  1. ^ President's Fund of Sri Lanka, President's Profile
  2. ^ "Hardliner wins Sri Lanka election". BBC News. November 2005 18, 2005. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Lanka president wins tsunami case". BBC News. March 27 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "How President decided on retaliation". The Sunday Times. April 30, 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "Sri Lanka forces attack reservoir". BBC News. August 6, 2006. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  6. ^ BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Fighting mars Lanka peace moves
  7. ^ "Sri Lanka President swipes at U.N. record". REUTERS. September 25, 2007.
  8. ^ "President Mahinda Rajapaksa appeals to unnamed political elements not to betray motherland to foreign interests". Asian Tribune. August 13, 2007.
  9. ^ No one can attack on the Leader Publications press without the knowledge of the Defence Ministry." -Opposition Leader
  10. ^ Gota is behind this draconian gazette
  11. ^ First Lady of Sri Lanka

See also

Wikisource has original works by or about:
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Government offices

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Preceded by Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
2004 – 2005 		Succeeded by
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