Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has reportedly informed party activists that he will not seek legal action against the move to curtail the privileges of former presidents.
Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has reportedly informed party activists that he will not seek legal action against the move to curtail the privileges of former presidents.
He said there had been no collective discussion among former presidents on the issue, though former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena had shared their personal views with him during recent meetings.
Earlier, the Gazette of the draft bill to amend the Presidents’ Entitlements Act, No. 4 of 1986—aimed at reducing special privileges granted to former presidents, their families, and retired MPs—was published.
Last week, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal to gazette the bill and present it in Parliament. In June, Cabinet also gave the green light to draft legislation repealing both the Presidents’ Entitlements Act and the Parliamentary Pensions Law, No. 1 of 1977. The reforms would abolish special benefits for former presidents and MPs, including lifetime pensions for MPs after serving only one term.
