(COLOMBO) – A senior Sri Lankan Buddhist Monk on Friday warned that the country’s Parliament would soon end up as an elders’ home if the current trend is allowed to continue.
The Anunayake of the Ramanya Nikaya Most Venerable Kappitiyagoda Sirivimala Thera emphasized the importance of elderly members stepping down to provide the youth with a opportunity to contribute to the country’s development.
He made these remarks during a meeting with the former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe and present Government MP.
“Government employees are retiring after reaching the age of 60 because they are no longer efficient. However, there are many people who have surpassed the retirement age in the Sri Lankan Parliament.
Some individuals retire from Government service and enter Parliament in order to pursue their next job, showing no inclination to make way for the younger generation.
Some are even seen struggling to reach Parliament with the aid of a walking stick,” the Thera said.
“They have no regard for the people of the country. Their focus is on selling the country’s resources to benefit their own generation. If an ordinary citizen in the country steals fifty or one hundred rupees, they will face the maximum punishment. However, if a powerful individual steals billions of rupees, the law does not seem to apply to them properly,” the Anunayaka Thera said.
The Thera also emphasized that elderly MPs should leave Parliament. If they do not leave voluntarily, new laws should be enacted to remove them.
