The Sri Lankan government’s efforts to slash the privileges and benefits of former presidents have encountered a significant constitutional hurdle, according to sources cited by the Daily Mirror.
A committee appointed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to assess the feasibility of cutting privileges for former heads of state and MPs has found that certain benefits—such as pensions for former presidents—cannot be eliminated without a constitutional amendment.
The issue stems from Article 36(2) of the Constitution, which states:
“The President shall be entitled to such salaries and allowances and thereafter a pension as may be determined by Parliament.”
Additionally, the Presidential Entitlements Act mandates that former presidents be provided with a rent-free residence, a provision that has further complicated the government’s cost-cutting measures.
This has become a point of political contention, especially after President Dissanayake revealed that the government is spending Rs. 4.6 million per month on the house allocated to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
While the government cannot enact retroactive laws to revoke these privileges, it has greater flexibility in cutting the pensions and benefits of MPs, according to Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala.
The minister confirmed that the committee’s report has been submitted, and discussions are ongoing about how to legally revise the entitlements of former state leaders while ensuring compliance with constitutional constraints.
