Sri Lanka Parliament set to strip privileges of former presidents

Colombo, Sep 9 (PTI) Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has ruled that the bill to withdraw presidential privileges extended to former presidents and their widows can be approved in Parliament by a simple majority.

The court's ruling was read out in Parliament on Tuesday by Speaker Jagath Wickremaratna.

“The Supreme Court has determined that no provision of the bill is inconsistent with any provision of the Constitution and can be enacted by Parliament with a simple majority,” he said.

Following the apex court's ruling, the parliamentary business committee decided to debate the bill on Wednesday.

If passed, the bill will end special benefits such as an official residence, monthly allowances, secretarial support, official transport, and other perks currently provided to former presidents and their widows.

Sri Lanka currently has five living former presidents and one widow entitled to these privileges.

In late July, the government gazetted a new bill aimed at revoking all privileges granted to former presidents or their widows since 1986. The draft bill, titled Presidents’ Entitlement (Repeal), seeks to repeal the Presidents’ Entitlement Act No. 4 of 1986 and was subsequently referred to the Supreme Court.

A petition was filed by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), the political party of former presidents Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, challenging the bill's constitutionality.

However, the Supreme Court rejected the petition, stating that the petitioners had failed to comply with the mandatory provision under Article 121(1) of the Constitution.

The provision under Article 121(1) is a safeguard for judicial independence, preventing parliamentary scrutiny of judges' actions except through the constitutionally prescribed impeachment process.

The ruling National People's Power (NPP) party had pledged during its election campaign last year to stop these privileges, calling them a financial burden on the public. PTI CORR SCY SCY