evidence: That victory gave Mahinda Rajapaksa an almost inexhaustible well of political capital to draw on and he would go on to enjoy a 10-year grip on power during which he was venerated by Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese Buddhist majority. He was popularly referred to as "appachchi" – the father of the nation – and people would often bow when he walked past and fear for him when he was unwell. [...] "People have once again imposed their full confidence in us," Mahinda Rajapaksa said after a landslide victory in parliamentary elections a year later. [...] For weeks Gotabaya clung on, apparently unwilling to let the dynasty fall. But ultimately he had no choice, as the lavish home he once used to entertain power brokers was taken over by crowds escaping the heat in his sparkling swimming pool and holding picnics on his sprawling lawn.