Namal Rajapaksa, son of Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Sports Minister, is the presidential candidate for the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). The SLPP is itself a party split from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP); divorcing itself from the SLFP in 2016, which was then under the stewardship of Maithripala Sirisena. The party formed an effective opposition to the Sirisena administration and espoused a hardline Sinhala nationalist viewpoint opposed to concessions to the island's minorities. In 2019, the SLPP successfully campaigned on a message of Sinhala nationalism and enabled Gotabaya Rajapaksa to claim the presidency however years of economic mismanagement, corruption and nepotism, led to popular protests that saw the Rajapaksa’s removed from office.
Namal Rajapaksa, son of Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Sports Minister, is the presidential candidate for the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). The SLPP is itself a party split from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP); divorcing itself from the SLFP in 2016, which was then under the stewardship of Maithripala Sirisena. The party formed an effective opposition to the Sirisena administration and espoused a hardline Sinhala nationalist viewpoint opposed to concessions to the island's minorities. In 2019, the SLPP successfully campaigned on a message of Sinhala nationalism and enabled Gotabaya Rajapaksa to claim the presidency however years of economic mismanagement, corruption and nepotism, led to popular protests that saw the Rajapaksa’s removed from office.
Speaking to the media in Colombo, Namal warned Tamils against casting a vote for political parties which switched their position ahead of elections and claimed that his party had consistently supported the 13th amendment. However, last August the SLPP’s General Secretary, Sagara Kariyawasam, wrote to Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe warning that now was “not the right time” to implement the 13th amendment, which would see greater devolution through the provincial councils. The SLPP has consistently opposed Tamil demands for federalism and in speaking at an election rally in Galle, Namal Rajapaksa vowed to oppose forces that sought to divide the country.
Ahead of these elections, Namal Rajapaksa castigated Tamil politicians asserting that there are “no second-generation Tamil leaders” and that efficient and educated leaders were “assassinated by the LTTE”. This followed his meeting with Tamil lawmaker M.A. Sumanthiran. He further slammed Tamil political leaders claiming that they were too provincial in their thought.
Reflections on the war
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Asked to reflect on the war and reconciliation efforts post-conflict, Namal Rajapaksa heaped praise upon his war crimes accused father. He asserted that the war effort was about “calculated damage, collateral damage”. Mahinda Rajapaksa campaign saw the indiscriminate shelling of hospitals, food lines and government designated “no-fire zones”, alongside a litany of further abuses include mass rape and the summary execution of civilians. In total, an estimate death places the figure as high as 169,000 Tamils killed.
During this interview, Namal Rajapaksa also castigated the Tamil diaspora asserting that during his studies in London, there was not a Tamil diaspora but “only an isolated LTTE diaspora who created trouble abroad”. “If these Tamil diaspora are so worried about Sri Lankan Tamils, they should come and help Tamils here” he told the interview.
This statement follows a damning report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) detailing the continued intimidation and sexual violence committed by Sri Lanka’s security forces against Tamil on the island engaged in political activism.
In his party's manifesto, Namal Rajapaksa vowed to continue the legacy of his father.
"By integrating sustainable solutions for the challenges of the 21st century and the modern technological revolution with Mahinda Chinthana, let us start again from where the development of this country was stopped," he stated, promising to rescue the country from its economic crisis, much like how his father "liberated and united a country torn apart by war."
Read more here: Namal Rajapaksa vows to pick up from where his father left off
Corruption and murder
Following the Aragalaya protests of 2022, the Rajapaksa clan’s reputation has suffered significant reputational damage and has become synonymous with cronyism and corruption. Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court had found that the Rajapaksa clan bore guilt for the bankrupting of the country and of economic mismanagement.
In 2016, Namal Rajapaksa was arrested on charges of money laundering relating to an agreement with a real estate company that occurred whilst his father was in power.
The company leased state-owned land in the heart of Colombo for a mixed-use development plan valued at $650 million, including residential skyscrapers, a luxury hotel, and shopping. The project grew contentious after opposition party members accused figures of the Rajapaksa administration of accepting secret payments to secure the land deal.
Namal Rajapaksa has also drawn controversy over alleged connection to abduction, torture and murder of star rugby player Wasim Thajudeen. Sri Lankan press have reported that Thajudeen’s murder was over a love triangle involving Yoshitha Rajapaksa, Namal Rajapaksa’s brother.
Read the profiles of other candidates: Who are the candidates standing in Sri Lanka's elections?
