Colombo: The Sri Lankan parliament on Wednesday voted 151-1 in favour of a bill to strip privileges for former presidents, one of the popular pre-election pledges by the incumbent NPP government.
The bill titled ‘Presidents’ Entitlement (Repeal) Act No 18 of 2025’ to repeal the Presidents’ Entitlement Act No 4 of 1986 has thus become a law, a day after the Supreme Court ruled that the bill can be approved in parliament by a simple majority.
The ruling National People’s Power (NPP) government presented the bill for its second reading on Wednesday.
Explaining the law, Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara told the House that while the former presidents would not lose their pension rights, all other privileges granted to them such as a state mansion, official transport, the secretarial staff would be stripped off.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that the bill to withdraw presidential privileges extended to all former presidents and widows can be approved in parliament with just a simple majority.
The Supreme Court thus overruled an attempt by the former Presidents Rajapaksas’ party, the Sri Lanka People’s Front.