| Rajapaksa family | |
|---|---|
| Political dynasty | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Current region | Hambantota |
| Place of origin | Medamulana, Weeraketiya |
| Founder | Don Mathew Rajapaksa |
| Current head | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Members | |
| Traditions | |
| Estate(s) | Medamulana Walawwa |
| Properties | Carlton Sports Network |
| Part of a series on the |
| Aragalaya |
|---|
 |
| Background |
| Economic crisis (2019–present) |
| Political crisis (2022–present) |
| Legacy |
The Rajapaksa family (Sinhala: රාජපක්ෂ, romanized: Rājapakṣa) 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,[1] when many members of the family occupied senior positions in the Sri Lankan state.[2][3] They have been particularly prominent in Sri Lankan national politics since 2005 when Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected president.[4]
As their political power grew, there were reports suggesting that the country was heading towards autocracy under their rule.[5][6] Following the unexpected defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa in the 2015 presidential election, they have been accused of authoritarianism, corruption, nepotism and bad governance.[7] In the 2019 presidential election, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the brother of Mahinda Rajapaksa, ran and won.[8] The popularity of the Rajapaksa family collapsed after their actions caused the economic crisis that started in 2019, resulting in Sri Lanka defaulting on its debt for the first time in its post-independence history within just 30 months of coming to power.[9] The extended Rajapaksa family is believed to have amassed a large amount of wealth and while the amount of and scale is unknown several members of the family have been revealed in international investigations such as the Pandora Papers to be using networks of shell companies and trusts to hide their wealth in offshore tax havens which has led to accusations of Rajapaksas turning Sri Lanka into a Kleptocracy[10][2]
- ^ Perera, Amantha (28 April 2010). "The Long Reach of Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa Dynasty". Time. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010.
- ^ a b Chu, Henry (25 August 2007). "Ruling Sri Lanka is a family affair". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ "Sri Lanka". Freedom in the World 2012. Freedom House. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
- ^ "The Man Who Would Oust a Dynasty". Journal of Democracy. 2024.
- ^ "Sri Lanka votes for Sirisena: What went wrong from Rajapaksa". The Economist Times. 11 January 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
- ^ "Sri Lanka needs a true human being, not a king – Maithripala". adaderana.lk. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
- ^ "Sirisena dethrones Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka". Khaleej Times. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
- ^ "Gotabaya Rajapaksa sworn in as Sri Lanka's new president". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ "A Powerful Dynasty Bankrupted Sri Lanka in Just 30 Months". Bloomberg.com. 27 April 2022. Archived from the original on 8 May 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "As Sri Lanka's ruling Rajapaksas flee, Pandora Papers reveal ties to UAE properties - ICIJ". International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. 13 July 2022. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.