Fourth Rajapaksa sibling joins Lankan govt

Sworn in as Finance Minister; 7th family member in top govt echelons

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Colombo, July 8

Basil Rajapaksa, the youngest of the four Rajapaksa siblings, was sworn in as Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister on Thursday, marking the further consolidation of political power by the powerful clan in the island nation.

Basil, 70, became the fourth Rajapaksa brother after President Gotabaya, 72, Prime Minister Mahinda,75, and Agricultural Minister Chamal, 78, to enter the Cabinet. He took the oath before President Gotabaya.

With the entry of Basil in the Cabinet, there are as many as seven family members in the top echelons of the government.

The Finance Ministry until Thursday morning was under Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Mahinda has now been given a new portfolio of economic policy and plan implementation.

Namal, the elder son of Mahinda, is the Cabinet minister of sports, while Shasheendra the son of Chamal is a state minister. Nipuna Ranawaka, a government backbencher is the nephew of the big four.

Basil was seen as the livewire and the intellectual pillar in the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration between 2010 and 2015.

A dual citizen of the US and Sri Lanka, Basil headed all key task forces from economic management to environment under the current administration of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. PTI