Medical experts expressed concern today for ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s mental health, as evidence emerged that his amnesia was worsening. Mr. Rajapaksa’s recent statement that there had been no acts of political vengeance or violations of the Constitution during his Presidency, confirmed rumours that the former strongman was struggling with acute memory loss.

Some experts have suggested the problem may be genetic, given similar lapses in memory in recent times from Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Namal Rajapaksa, particularly when talking to the CID. However, others have suggested that the case of Ranil Wickremasinghe shows that the source of the malady is environmental rather than genetic. Mr. Wickremasinghe’s amnesia is believed to be the most severe of current parliamentarians, with Mr. Wickremasinghe’s recent claim that he is confident of winning the upcoming parliamentary election indicating that he has forgotten the last twenty years.