Response to Mahinda Rajapaksa: It is not personal revenge or political terrorism

"True leadership is not measured by the privileges one enjoys, but by the lives one uplifts, the injustices one ends, and the legacy one leaves for generations."

- By Prof. Asoka S. Seneviratne

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR) has stated that his departure from the Colombo House was driven by “personal revenge,” and that Sri Lanka is witnessing “political terrorism.” He also added that this indicates a lack of discipline and professionalism on the part of the Government. In short, he is blaming or accusing the Government led by Anura Kumara Disanayake (AKD), as he was ultimately forced to vacate the Colombo House.

The nation rightly remembers Mahinda Rajapaksa for bringing an end to the war with the LTTE. But if his contribution to economic growth and development had been genuinely dismal. If it were meaningful, the Aragalaya of 2022—a people’s uprising born of despair—would never have taken place. Peace without prosperity left the country broken, not rebuilt.

The Government has now revealed that between 2017 and mid-2025, Rs. 491.2 million was spent on the upkeep of former presidents and their widows. Of this staggering sum, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s share alone was approximately Rs. 231 million—nearly half the total. His list of privileges reads like a manual of extravagance: 111 staff members, including nine medical personnel, eight drivers, five mechanics, 16 chefs, 26 electricians, and even a dog handler. The residence he occupied had a rental value of more than Rs. 4.6 million a month. Just imagine! Many people and families live without proper shelter, a harsh reality on the ground.

Such indulgence is unconscionable in a country where one-third of the population lives in poverty. The alternative value of these funds could have provided housing, food security, or education to hundreds of thousands of families. Instead, they sustained the lavish lifestyle of one man. It is no wonder that Mahinda Rajapaksa story draws parallels to Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines—leaders remembered less for what they gave their nations, and more for what they consumed from them.