Sri Lanka’s parliament voted decisively on Wednesday to evict former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and two others from state-owned residences, as part of new austerity measures by the recently elected leftist government.
Led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the ruling party unanimously supported a bill repealing a 1986 law that provided former leaders with luxurious housing and secretarial perks.
Only one opposition lawmaker opposed the bill, which passed with a commanding two-thirds majority of 150 out of 225 members present.
Approval came just a day after the Supreme Court confirmed that revoking these privileges did not breach the Constitution.
This legislation was prompted by Rajapaksa’s continued occupation of an opulent residence in the capital, despite repeated eviction requests. His party had unsuccessfully contested the bill.
The 1986 law also entitled former presidents to luxury vehicles, government-funded fuel, and secretarial support alongside personal security.
With the repeal of the Presidents Entitlement Act, Hema Premadasa, widow of assassinated president Ranasinghe Premadasa, will lose the pension she has received since 1993.
“We are repealing the 1986 Act to conserve taxpayer money,” stated Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara in parliament.
He highlighted that former leaders misused power by assigning themselves expensive estates.
Opposition member Dayasiri Jayasekara accused the government of targeting political adversaries with hostile intent.
“This bill aims at Rajapaksa because intimidation failed,” Jayasekara said. “Your actions are driven by animosity.”
Rajapaksa had 243 bodyguards, including 63 elite commandos and 23 drivers, when Dissanayake assumed office last year.
The government reduced his security to 60 personnel this year, limiting him to three vehicles, including a Mercedes-Maybach and a luxury SUV.
Rajapaksa has yet to comment, though an aide indicated he might vacate soon.
As prime minister in 2021, Rajapaksa reportedly used approximately 800 million rupees ($2.7 million) of public money for refurbishing his residence.
His brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, resigned from the presidency in 2022 amid economic and corruption allegations, vacating a state property soon after.
Other former presidents, Chandrika Kumaratunga and Maithripala Sirisena, reside in government homes in Colombo’s elite diplomatic area, with no immediate comments from either.
Many such residences originate from British colonial times, built for senior officials from London.
