‘Lord of the Rings’ a loser this time

EX-PRESIDENT FAILS IN COMEBACK BID

Among Sri Lankans, political veteran Mahinda Rajapakse earned the nickname “Lord of the Rings”, thanks to his taste for gem-laden rings and an epic battle.

But the former strongman president lost his magic in his latest comeback bid.

Renowned and feared for his brutal ending of the country’s prolonged Tamil separatist war in 2009, Rajapakse is a big believer in fate. With nearly every finger bearing a lucky gem, the 72-yearold consults astrologers, even for political decisions.

But something went wrong when he agreed to become prime minister on October 26, after President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The strategy failed and the numbers in parliament did not add up. Wickremesinghe refused to leave the official residence and the assembly voted Rajapakse’s rival government down yesterday.

It was the latest blow for the politician who ruled Sri Lanka for a decade up to a surprise defeat in a 2015 presidential election.

Since then, Rajapakse and his family and allies have faced increasing legal and political pressure over fallout from the years in power. Several face legal action for corruption.

Rajapakse comes from a well-connected political family in the southern district of Hambantota. His father, DA Rajapakse, was a prominent independence activist and Cabinet minister.

The younger Rajapakse studied law but at 24 – before he had even qualified as an attorney – he became an MP.

Using his expert espousal of conservative Buddhist values, Rajapakse became prime minister in 2004, and narrowly beat Wickremesinghe to the presidency a year later in their first showdown.

His two terms made him one of Asia’s most controversial leaders. His name is feared by Tamils and his battles with the United Nations have become legendary.

Rajapakse ordered the military campaign to end the 37-yearold Tamil conflict in May 2009, although he has rejected allegations that at least 40 000 Tamil civilians were killed by government forces in the closing weeks of the civil war.

More than 100 000 people died during the whole conflict.

But his action to end the threat from Tamil Tiger suicide bombers made him a hero among the majority Sinhalese community. He won a huge majority for his second term and blamed the Tamils for voting against him when he was beaten in 2015 by Maithripala Sirisena.

Sirisena was an ally who turned against him for the 2015 race – before changing allegiance again to make Rajapakse his prime minister last month. –