Chamal Rajapaksa is a Sri Lankan politician and former parliamentarian, the elder brother of Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Wiki/Biography
Chamal Jayantha Rajapaksa was born on Sunday, 30 October 1942 in Palatuva, Matara, British Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) (age 80; as of 2022). After completing his formal education at Richmond College, Chamal joined the police force in 1964.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′8″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye color: dark brown
Chamal Rajapaksa and Mahinda Rajapaksa
family
Chamal Rajapaksa belongs to a Sri Lankan Sinhalese family.
Parents and siblings
His father DA Rajapaksa was a freedom fighter and politician. His mother’s name was Dandina Rajapaksa (deceased).
Photos of DA Rajapaksa and Dandina Rajapaksa
Chamal Rajapaksa has eight brothers and sisters. His younger brother Mahinda Rajapaksa served as President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015. He also served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 2019 to 2022. His younger brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the former president of Sri Lanka who fled the country in July 2022. In the midst of an economic crisis. Gotabaya returned to the country in September 2022. His younger brother Basil Rajapaksa is a former member of Parliament who served as Finance Minister from July 8, 2021 to April 3, 2022.
Chamal Rajapaksa poses with Gotabaya Rajapaksa (right) and Mahinda Rajapaksa (left)
His younger brother, Dudley Rajapaksa, is Vice President of QA/RA/Technical Services at Berlin Heart GmbH.
Dudley Rajapaksa, brother of Chamal Rajapaksa
His brother, Chandra Tudor Rajapaksa, died in July 2022.
Chandra Tudor Rajapaksa, Chamal’s late brother
His sister Gandini Rajapaksa died on May 8, 2017. His sister Jayanthi Rajapaksa is a former member of Sri Lanka’s Parliament and former Deputy Minister of Water Supply and Drainage (2010-2015). His sister, Preethi Rajapaksa, is a teacher. His other sister is Gandini Rajapaksa.
wife and children
His wife’s name is Chandra Malani Rajapaksa. The couple married in 1975. His eldest son Shasheendra Rajapaksa is the Chief Minister of Uva Province and the guardian of Sri Skanda Kumara Maha Devalaya of Kataragama. His youngest son’s name is Shamindra Rajapaksa.
Photos of Chamal Rajapaksa with his wife and son
religion
Chamal Rajapaksa is a Buddhist.
address
He lives in House No. B90, Gregory’s Road, 7th Lane, Colombo 07, Sri.
Profession
as a police officer
Chamal Rajapaksa joined the Ceylon Police in 1964 as a Sub-Inspector. He has been with the police force for more than eight years. A policeman, Chamal served as a bodyguard to the world’s first female prime minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who became prime minister of Sri Lanka (then the Dominion of Ceylon) in 1960. In 1972, Chamal left the police force and joined the police force. State Trading Corporation (STC). In 1985, he left the company and served as assistant to the general manager. After leaving the company, Chamal Rajapaksa temporarily focused on his coconut estate in Beliatte.
politics
In the 1983 by-election, UNP candidate Ananda Kularatne was elected as the MP for Mulkirigala. However, losing candidate Nirupama Rajapaksa filed an election petition against him, necessitating another by-election. In 1985, Chamal Rajapaksa joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and contested Sri Lanka’s 1985 by-elections from Malkirigala constituency; however, he lost by a slim margin of 1,300 votes. In 1989, Chamal Rajapaksa participated in the Hambantota constituency parliamentary election and won. From 1989 to 2022, Chamal Rajapaksa held many important ministerial positions, such as Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Lands, Deputy Minister of Ports and Southern Development, Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries, Agriculture Minister of Development, Minister of Irrigation and Water Management and Minister of Agriculture. Ports and Aviation. As Minister of Irrigation and Water Management, Chamal Rajapaksa implemented several irrigation projects in Maw Ara, Weheragala, Weli Oya, Menik Ganga, Uma Oya, Deduru Oya, Kekiriobadakan Oya and Yan Oya. In 2010, Chamal Rajapaksa was appointed Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament by his brother, President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Chamal Rajapaksa serves as Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament
He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives until 2015. Later, he left the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and joined Mahinda’s Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP). On November 9, 2018, Chamal Rajapaksa was appointed Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine.
Chamal Rajapaksa takes office as Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine
On August 17, 2020, he was reappointed as Minister of Irrigation and Water Management by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Chamal Rajapaksa signs document after being sworn in as Irrigation Minister
In November 2020, he was sworn in as the Minister of State for National Security, Home Affairs and Disaster Management.
Chamal Rajapaksa signs document after being sworn in as Minister of State for National Security, Home Affairs and Disaster Management
On April 3, 2022, due to the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, violent protests broke out in Sri Lanka, and Chamal resigned as a cabinet minister. During his political career, Chamal held various non-ministerial positions, such as Chairman of the Sri Lanka-Russia Parliamentary Friendship Association, Chairman of the Sri Lanka-Hungary Parliamentary Friendship Association and Chairman of the Hambantota Regional Development Committee. Chamal Rajapaksa has never lost a general election between 1989 and 2022 and has been the Member of Parliament (MP) from the Hambantota constituency for more than 32 years.
Photo taken during Chamal Rajapaksa’s speech in Parliament
As an MP, he served on a number of parliamentary committees, including the National Security Sector Oversight Committee, the Transport and Communications Sector Oversight Committee, the Prison Reform Subcommittee of the National Security Sector Oversight Committee, the Liaison Committee, the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Ports and Shipping and the South development and so on.
Facts/Trivia
- Chamal Rajapaksa is also known by his other name “The Bodyguard”.
- He played football during school and even represented the school in various football competitions.
- While serving as a member of Parliament, Chamal Rajapaksa was awarded the honorary title “Sri Janasewa Vibushana” by the Sri Lankan government.
- In May 2022, Chamal Rajapaksa issued a statement in the Sri Lankan Parliament stating that his younger brother Mahinda Rajapaksa should retire after completing his second term as President of Sri Lanka. Talking about this, he said,
One should be prepared to give up one’s position. I think Mahinda should leave after completing his second term as President of Sri Lanka. If he didn’t, he would have to face the current situation. Greed for power leads to what we are facing today. “
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education