>>Mujib Mashal, The New York Times Published: 11 Jul 2021 11:00 AM BdST Updated: 11 Jul 2021 11:00 AM BdST FILE PHOTO: Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother, and Sri Lanka's President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa are seen during his during the swearing in ceremony as the new Prime Minister, at Kelaniya Buddhist temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka, August 9, 2020. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte/File Photo The first attempt by a Rajapaksa to return to power in Sri Lanka was brief. "); } In 2018, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as prime minister, even though the man he was supposedly replacing said he still held the job. Rajapaksa eventually backed down, though not before chairs were smashed and chili powder and fists were thrown in Parliament.