His website says: “A future leader with a friendly spirit and possessing good values is what comes to mind when meeting the dashing and smashing young Namal Rajapaksa.”

The keen rugby player graduated from London’s City University in September with a third-class law degree. He now clearly plans to follow in the footsteps of his father, Mahinda, who was an MP at 24 and went on to defeat his former army chief, Sarath Fonseka, in a presidential election last month.

Last week, after General Fonseka’s arrest, Namal was accepted by his father’s party as a candidate in parliamentary elections on April 8, joining dozens of other relatives in government and politics. One rumour suggests that he could take over the politically powerful position of Custodian of the Temple of the Tooth, Sri Lanka’s holiest Buddhist shrine. More...Discuss this story Published: Sun Feb 21 21:32:38 EST 2010

In separate meetings with Australian special envoy to Sri Lanka John McCarthy and Ambassador of Sudan Khidir Haroun Ahmed, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama conveyed the concern. Though he did not name any country, his remarks assume significance against the backdrop of a February 10 interview Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa gave to the Singapore-based Straits Times where he had talked about the alleged coup plans of the former Army Chief, retired General Sarath Fonseka. More...Discuss this story Published: Sat Feb 20 22:42:45 EST 2010