Chamal Rajapaksa

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Chamal Rajapaksa is a Sri Lankan politician and a retired Sri Lankan police Sub Inspector. He is the elder brother of Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa.After completing his schooling, Chamal Rajapaksa joined the Ceylon police force as a Sub Inspector. While serving in the police force, Chamal was made the bodyguard of Sri Lanka’s first female Prime Minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike. After serving as a police officer for more than eight years, Chamal left the police force in 1972.In the same year, he joined State Trading General Corporation (STC) as Assistant General Manager. He worked for the STC till 1985 after which he went back to his family’s farmland in Beliatte to look after the coconut estate.Chamal Rajapaksa entered politics when he joined the Sri Lankan Freedom Party (SLFP) and contested the 1985 by-elections from the Mulkirigala Electorate. In the elections, Chamal was defeated by a margin of 1,300 votes. The by-elections of 1985 were conducted after the by-elections of 1983 were declared null and void after Nirupama Rajapaksa won an election petition against the UNP candidate Ananda Kularatne.Chamal Rajapaksa again contested the 1989 Sri Lankan general elections from the Hambantota constituency. In the elections, he emerged victorious. From 1989 to 2022, Chamal remained a member of the Sri Lankan parliament as he emerged victorious in every election that he contested. Chamal Rajapaksa’s photo taken in the Sri Lankan parliament.Chamal has held several important ministerial-level appointments like Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Lands, Deputy Minister of Ports & Southern Development, Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries, Minister of Agricultural Development, Minister of Irrigation & Water Management, and Minister of Ports & Aviation. While Chamal was serving as the Minister of Irrigation & Water Management, he implemented several irrigation projects at Maw Ara, Weheragala, Weli Oya, Menik Ganga, Uma Oya, Deduru Oya, Kekiriobadakan Oya, and Yan Oya.When Mahinda Rajapaksa became the President of Sri Lanka for the second time in 2010, he appointed Chamal Rajapaksa as the speaker of the Sri Lankan parliament. He served as the speaker till 2015. Chamal Rajapaksa’s photo taken while he was serving as the speaker of the Sri Lankan parliament.In the same year, Chamal left the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and joined Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).Chamal took over the charge of the Ministry of Health, Nutrition, and Indigenous Medicine on 9 November 2018. Chamal Rajapaksa’s photo taken while he was signing the document after being appointed the Minister of Health, Nutrition, and Indigenous Medicine.President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed Chamal the Minister of Irrigation & Water Management on 17 August 2020. A photo of Chamal Rajapaksa taken when he was signing a document after being appointed the Minister of Irrigation.