{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-572d6a42.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-f4d0de30.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Former SLankan leader attempts comeback' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54d2a0d8eafeecae1e33fb' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54d2a0d8eafeecae1e33fb' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nFormer SLankan leader attempts comeback\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eSri Lanka's former strongman leader Mahinda Rajapaksa is thought to be launching a political comeback as the secret leader of a new party following last year's surprise presidential election defeat. His former foreign minister, Gamini...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eSri Lanka's former strongman leader Mahinda Rajapaksa is thought to be launching a political comeback as the secret leader of a new party following last year's surprise presidential election defeat. His former foreign minister, Gamini Peiris, is considered a proxy at the head of the newly formed Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP).Last month, Rajapaksa dodged reporters' questions about whether he was involved, but on Monday Peiris said it was the \"expectation of the country at large\" that the former president would give the party leadership.Rajapaksa was Sri Lanka's leader for nine years from 2005, building up immense power and popularity among the country's majority ethnic Sinhalese after overseeing the military's brutal defeat of ethnic Tamil rebels in 2009 to end a 25-year civil war. But he was facing mounting criticism for failing to allow an investigation of alleged war crimes by the military, while also facing allegations of corruption and nepotism.In January 2015 he lost the presidential election to his former health minister, Maithripala Sirisena, who launched a last-minute campaign. Later that year Rajapaksa was defeated when he ran for prime minister in the country's parliamentary elections.FILE: Colombo - 13 August 20151. Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa meeting supportersColombo - 2 December 20162. SOUNDBITE (English) Basil Rajapaksa, former economic affairs minister and Mahinda Rajapaksa's brother:\"After the January 8 and August 17 general election, the forming of so called national government, the main two political parties SLFP (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) and the UNP (United Nation Party) got together and that was the people who oppose this government or not happy about this government's activities had no way of protesting, conveying their message in a political system or legal election system. That is a political party. So that is the reason this party was formed by the people and I am supporting and making it happen.\"3. Cutaway of Basil Rajapaksa working at desk4. SOUNDBITE (English) Basil Rajapaksa, former economic affairs minister and Mahinda Rajapaksa's brother:\"I think we have to have a dynamic leadership to get this country back to development and secure and safeguard our security, integrity, sovereignty so that our main objective is bringing back President Mahinda Rajapaksa.\"5. Basil Rajapaksa's hands on the table6. SOUNDBITE (English) Basil Rajapaksa, former economic affairs minister and Mahinda Rajapaksa's brother:\"He's (Mahinda Rajapaksa) like our future leader and spiritual leader also.\"FILE: Colombo - 13 August 20157. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa with supportersColombo - 5 December 20168. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Jehan Perera, political analyst:\"Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa himself would like to be in power again, but he at the moment doesn't have a vehicle to get to power because the SLFP (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) which was his former party, is headed by the present president. But former President Rajapaksa's hope is that he will once again be the President of the SLFP. He would like to regain control of his party. That is why he is not showing his hand at the present time as the real leader of the SLPP (Sri Lanka People's Party) headed by Professor Peiris, but I think at a certain time, when, if  former President Mahinda Rajapaksa realises he cannot take control of the SLFP, which is his preferred vehicle to become leader again of the country, he will then at that stage opt to takeover the SLPP which is currently headed by Professor Peiris. Professor Peiris, as I said is the nominal leader. Behind him are the forces that want former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to be the leader of the country.\"9. Gamini Peiris, Chairman of the Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP), talking to journalists at the Sri Lanka People's Party offices10. SOUNDBITE (English) Gamini Peiris, former foreign minister and chairman of the Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP):\"It is our hope and expectation that former President Rajapaksa will soon come into to this party and give it leadership. That is certainly the expectation of the country at large.\"FILE: Colombo - 13 August 201511. 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