Basil Rajapaksa

Basil Rohana Rajapaksha
Minister of Economic Development
In office
23 April 2010 – 12 January 2015
Personal details
Born Sri Lanka
Citizenship Dual citizenship
Nationality Sri Lankan American
Political party Sri Lanka Freedom Party
Other political
affiliations		 United National Party
Spouse(s) Pushpa Rajapaksa
Children Thejani, Bimalka, Asanka
Alma mater Isipathana College , Ananda College
Religion Buddhist
Website Official Website

Basil Rohana Rajapaksa (known as Basil Rajapaksa) is a Sri Lankan politician and a member of parliament for the Gampaha District. He was the previous National Organizer of Sri Lanka Freedom Party and former Cabinet Minister of Economic Development in President Mahinda Rajapakse's Government. He served as a presidential senior advisor and member of parliament from the national list in the first Rajapaksa administration. He was elected to parliament in April 2010, obtaining the highest number of preferential votes in the county at the 2010 general election. Rajapaksa was subsequently appointed Cabinet Minister of Economic Development.[1] He hails from a well known political family in Sri Lanka. His father, D. A. Rajapaksa, was a prominent politician, independence agitator, Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister of Agriculture and Land in Wijeyananda Dahanayake's government. He is a younger brother of the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and another brother, Gothabaya Rajapaksa, was the powerful defense secretary in the Mahinda Rajapaksa government. Furthermore, his older brother serves as the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He had his secondary education at Isipathana College and Ananda College Colombo. On 11 January 2015, immediately after Mahinda Rajapksa lost the presidential election, Basil Rajapaksa left Sri Lanka to the United States, where he is a naturalized citizen.[2] After returning on 21 April 2015, he was arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities for misappropriation of funds.

Political career

At the 1977 General Elections, he contested Mulkirigala Electorate from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party but was defeated.[3] Basil Rajapaksa later Campaigned for first executive President J.R. Jayewardene against SLFP in 1982 Referendum and later joined the United National Party,[4] May 1983 Mulkirigala by- election he campaigned for UNP and worked as UNP election agent.[5] Later he worked under Gamini Dissanayake and left to the United States soon after Ranasinghe Premadasa’s impeachment collapsed.

Rajapaksa has gained enormous experience over the years, which would lead him to lead the country. He has got a historical victory number of votes (400000 +) in parliamentary election 2010. During the war against Tamil tigers (LTTE), Basil Rajapaksa played a major role to control the political stability to his brother President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa is accused of striking a deal with the LTTE to bring his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa to power.[6][7][8] As per WikiLeaks, Basil Rajapaksa has undermined the security forces several times with the US Ambassador Robert O.Blake and Patricia A. Butenis between October 2006 and November 2009.[9][10][11]

Election Defeat and Arrest

After Mahinda Rajapaksa's defeat at the presidential election - 2015 Sri Lanka on 8 January 2015, Basil Rajapaksa and his wife left the country for the US using the VIP channel at the Badaranaike International Airport on 10 January 2015.[12] The Sri Lankan government requested Interpol assistance to probe Basil Rajapaksa over alleged mass financial fraud committed while he was a key minister of the government.[13] Sri Lankan court issued an order to the Financial Crimes Investigation Division to arrest Mr. Rajapaksa on immediate arrival to Sri Lanka. [14] He returned to Sri Lanka on 21 April 2015.[15] On 22 April 2015, after several hours of questioning, Mr Rajapaksa was arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities for misappropriation of funds.[16]

Family

He is married to Pushpa Rajapaksa and has three children, Thejani, Bimalka and Asanka.

See also

References

  1. ↑ New Cabinet sworn in Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka), Retrieved on 23 April 2010.
  2. ↑ Basil Rajapaksa Leaves to His Homeland.. Sri Lanka Guardian. Retrieved on 22 April 2015.
  3. ↑ 1977 Parliamentary Elections Results.
  4. ↑ Can Basil rescue Mahinda’s sinking ship?.
  5. ↑ Rajapaksa patriarch and ex-police inspector set to police Parliament.
  6. ↑ "Basil Conceded Pre-Election Contacts With The LTTE". Colombo Telegraph. 2007-06-14. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
  7. ↑ "Rajapaksa – Tiger Deal On WikiLeaks And Political Analysis". The Sunday Leader. 2012-04-08. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
  8. ↑ "Tiran Alles Filmed LTTE-Rajapaksa Pre-Election Deal". WikiLeaks. 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
  9. ↑ "Viewing cable 06COLOMBO1622, SRI LANKA: PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR BASIL RAJAPAKSA". 2006-10-04. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
  10. ↑ "‘I am not saying we are clean’ – Basil to US Senate Foreign Relations staff". Colombo Telegraph. 2011-11-08. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
  11. ↑ "Basil Rajapkasa admitted military shelling into the safe zone". Colombo Telegraph. 2009-03-05. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
  12. ↑ "Basil, Dudley leave country".
  13. ↑ Interpol help over Basil probe
  14. ↑ Court rejects motion not to arrest Basil on arrival. Daily Mirror. Retrieved on 30 March 2015.
  15. ↑ Rajapaksa arrived in the country
  16. ↑ Basil Rajapaksa arrested for case of misappropriation of funds. The Hindu. Retrieved on 22 April 2015.

External links


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