In an attempt to cut the perks and privileges enjoyed by former presidents or their widows, the Sri Lankan parliament revoked a law on Wednesday.
With a majority of 151 votes, the ruling National People's Power (NPP) repealed the President’s Entitlements Act, a 1986 law, which allowed provision of a residence or a monthly allowance, secretarial allowance, official transport to a former president or the widow of a former President and a monthly pension paid to the widow of a former president.
The move is looked at as a step by the ruling NPP to keep up its poll promise of eradicating corruption and cutting down the excess state expenditure.
“We are repealing the 1986 Act to save taxpayers’ money,” Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara informed the Parliament.
The new amended law is all set to come into force immediately, which will be applicable to former presidents, including Chandrika Kumaratunga, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maithiripala Sirisena, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Ranil Wickremesinghe, and Hema Premadasa, the wife of late Ranasinghe Premadasa.
According to sources, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is set to vacate his official residence on Wijerama Mawatha in Colombo soon.
Earlier, during the debate in the parliament, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that the government is spending a heavy public cost towards maintenance of the residences of the former presidents, who live in state-owned bungalows. He had said that Mahinda’s residence alone carried a monthly rental value of more than 4.6 million LKR.
Former presidents Maithripala Sirisena and Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga will also be required to leave their official homes. Gotabaya, too, apparently doesn’t live in his private residence at Mirihana, while Ranil lives in his private home.
The repeal bill will, however, preserve pension benefits while reallocating government properties currently occupied by ex-leaders for official use.