Sri Lanka scraps lawmakers' pensions in perks crackdown
The leftist government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake repealed the 49-year-old Parliamentary Pensions Act, just months after withdrawing housing, vehicles and thousands of bodyguards from former presidents.
Security personnel patrol in front of the Sri Lankan Parliament in Colombo. The Parliament repealed the 49-year-old Parliamentary Pensions Act, just months after withdrawing housing, vehicles and thousands of bodyguards from former presidents. (AFP)
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COLOMBO — Sri Lanka's parliament abolished pensions for all legislators and their widows on Tuesday, in line with a government pledge to prune the perks of politicians.
"When people see the quality of debate and what members say in this House, they don't think MPs deserve a pension," Justice Minister Harsana Nanayakkara told parliament as it voted to stop pensions with immediate effect.
The leftist government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake repealed the 49-year-old Parliamentary Pensions Act, just months after withdrawing housing, vehicles and thousands of bodyguards from former presidents.
The 225-member legislature, where the ruling party has a two-thirds majority, voted 154 in favour, with just two against, to repeal the pensions law.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa objected, saying a pension was necessary to ensure legislators had social security after leaving office.
Otherwise, he argued, they could be tempted to amass wealth through corruption to secure their wellbeing in retirement.
Under the previous law, members of parliament were entitled to a pension after completing five years in office, while other state employees had to complete 10 years of service to qualify.
In September, the government introduced legislation to scrap the privileges of former leaders after former president Mahinda Rajapaksa refused a request to vacate a government bungalow.
Former presidents were also entitled to luxury vehicles with government-funded fuel, secretarial staff and personal security.
They have now been drastically slashed.
In 2021, while serving as prime minister, Rajapaksa reportedly spent about 800 million rupees (about $2.5 million) of public funds refurbishing a state residence he moved into after leaving office.
His younger brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was forced to step down from the presidency in 2022 amid allegations of economic mismanagement and corruption, vacated a state bungalow after a brief stay following his resignation.
Many of the residences were built during British colonial rule for senior civil servants from London.