No state ceremonies or events will be held to mark President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's first year anniversary in office on November 18, in keeping with the policy set out by the President. Since his assuming office, the President has instructed officials to desist from extravagant celebrations spending state funds for publicity stunts, a senior official said. The President has also called upon those willing to wish him not to organise special events incurring unnecessary expenditure.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected as the seventh Executive President of the country securing a landslide victory at the Presidential Election on November 16, 2019. The President, contesting under the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) banner secured 52.25 percent of the total number of votes polled, garnering over 1.3 million majority votes over his closest rival.
President Rajapaksa took the oath of office within the sacred precincts of the historic Ruvanvaliseya Stupa in Anuradhapura on November 18, 2019.
The SLPP later secured a landslide victory at the General Elections on August 5, 2020, the second electoral success in less than a year. For an election held in Sri Lanka under the proportional representation system, this victory is unprecedented. With the support of its allies, the SLPP secureda two-thirds majority in Parliament.