Sri Lanka’s former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has lashed out at his political opponents, accusing them of engaging in “political terrorism” driven by revenge and incompetence, after vacating his official residence under new legislation.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Friday (12), Rajapaksa confirmed his departure from the Wijerama residence in compliance with the recently passed Presidents’ Entitlements (Repeal) Act, No. 18 of 2025, which removed state housing and other privileges for former heads of state.
Rajapaksa said he had now returned to his village, symbolically retracing his political journey. “As my eldest son Namal said, I have returned to my village where it all began… I can enjoy a sour fish stew in the village,” he wrote, adding that he had travelled there via the Southern Expressway—one of his administration’s hallmark infrastructure projects.
Dismissing media reports that he left the residence prematurely under pressure, Rajapaksa claimed he owed no response to critics he described as lacking professionalism and public support.
“I had no need to listen to statements made in front of the media by a group of people who… were trying to cover up their incompetence,” he said.
The former president also reflected on his international record, recalling appearances before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, where he said he had “represented the disappeared” despite facing political reprisals.
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