COLOMBO, Sept. 12: Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa lashed out at what he called “political terrorism” fueled by personal revenge and incompetence, as he vacated his official residence at Wijerama in line with the newly enacted Presidents’ Entitlements (Repeal) Act, 2025.
In a post on his official Facebook page, Rajapaksa said he was returning to his ancestral village in Giruwapattuwa, traveling via the Southern Expressway that his government had built.
“As my eldest son Namal said, I have returned to my village where it all began. Now, I can enjoy a sour fish stew in the village,” he wrote.
The Act, passed on September 10, stripped former presidents of state-provided housing and other entitlements, compelling Rajapaksa to vacate the residence he had occupied for years.
Slams critics, vows resistance to ‘betrayal’
Rajapaksa dismissed calls from political opponents urging him to leave earlier, accusing them of trying to “cover up their failures” and lacking any real commitment to public service.
“I have learned of a statement claiming that Mahinda Rajapaksa now deserves to be hanged. Personally, I do not respond to such direct targeting. However, as long as we all live under the shelter of the lion flag, I will rise up—no matter the suffering—against anyone who betrays this unitary motherland,” he declared, asserting that the Maha Sangha and the people would stand by him if needed.
He also recalled representing the disappeared at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva despite what he called political reprisals during his presidency.
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