Mahinda Rajapaksa is a Sri Lankan politician who served as the President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015. He is a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and played a significant role in the country's civil conflict, which ended in 2009. His leadership was marked by economic growth and infrastructure development, but also by allegations of human rights violations. After his presidency, Rajapaksa continued to be active in politics, serving as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 2019 to 2021. He is known for his strong nationalist policies and has a significant following among certain segments of the population. His political career has been both influential and controversial.