Chamal Rajapaksa

Chamal Rajapaksa
චමල් රාජපක්ෂ
சமல் ராஜபக்ஷ
Rajapaksa in March 2015
19th Speaker of the Parliament
In office
22 April 2010  26 June 2015
Preceded byW. J. M. Lokubandara
Succeeded byKaru Jayasuriya
Minister of Irrigation
In office
12 August 2020  3 April 2022
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
In office
28 January 2007  23 April 2010
PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterRatnasiri Wickremanayake
Minister of Internal Trade, Food Security and Consumer Welfare, Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Development
In office
22 November 2019  12 August 2020
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterMahinda Rajapaksa
Member of Parliament
for Hambantota District
In office
1989–2024
Personal details
Born (1942-10-30) 30 October 1942
Palatuwa, British Ceylon
NationalitySri Lankan
Political partySri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (since 2018)
Other political
affiliations
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (before 2018)
Spouse(s)Chandra Malini Rajapaksa
(nee Wijewardene)
ChildrenShasheendra, Shameendra
Alma materRichmond College, Galle
ProfessionPolice officer, Politician

Chamal Jayantha Rajapaksa (Sinhala: චමල් රාජපක්ෂ; Tamil: சமல் ராஜபக்ஷ; born 30 October 1942) is a Sri Lankan politician who was Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka from 2010 to 2015. Previously he served as Minister of Ports and Aviation and the Minister for Irrigation and Water Management.

He hails from a well-known political family in Sri Lanka. His father, D. A. Rajapaksa, was a prominent politician, independence agitator, member of parliament and Minister of Agriculture and Land in Wijeyananda Dahanayake's government. He is the elder brother of Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015 and Gotabaya Rajapaksa who was president from 2019 to 2022.

Shashindra Rajapaksa (eldest son of Rajapaksa) is the former chief Minister of Uva Provincial Council and former Basnayaka Nilame (Lay Custodian) of the Ruhunu Maha Kataragama devalaya.