Happy B'day Mr. President

Today is the 62nd birthday of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The birthday coincides with the completion of his first two years as the fifth Executive President of Sri Lanka.

Born on November 18, 1945 at Weerakatiya in the southern district of Hambantota President Rajapaksa has long years of experience as a lawyer, a human rights activist and trade unionist. President Rajapaksa was Prime Minister from April 6, 2004 until he was sworn in as President on November 19, 2005.

He succeeded his father D. A. Rajapaksa to Sri Lanka's Parliament in 1970, showing the strong influence that his family has had for decades in Sri Lanka's southern Hambantota district.

The second son in a family of six brothers and three sisters, the President was brought up from his early years in keeping with Sinhala-Buddhist tradition. After his schooldays at Richmond College, Galle, Thurstan College and Nalanda College in Colombo young Rajapaksa entered the Colombo Law College and took oaths as an Attorney-at-Law in November 1977.

The 'Sunday Observer' wishes the President, strength and good health to lead the country usher in prosperity.

Reminiscence of a People’s President >>