The NPP has asked the SLPP why the latter did not vote against the Presidents’ Entitlements (Repeal Bill), which they lambasted, last week.
NPP MP Dewananda Suraweera yesterday said that the three-member SLPP parliamentary group should have opposed the Bill if the former governing party had genuinely believed that it was targeting their leader, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Both the SLPP and SJB walked out of the Chamber at the time of voting.
The Bill received 151 votes in favour while only Chamara Sampath Dissanayake (New Demoractic Front) voted against it.
The NPP parliamentary group consists of 159 whereas the SJB comprises 40 MPs. The other members of the NDF are Ravi Karunanayake (National List), Faizer Musthapa (National List), Rohitha Abeygunawardena (Kalutara) and Lanka Anuradha Jayaratne (Mahanuwara).
MP Suraweera said that SLPP National List MP and parliamentary group leader Namal Rajapaksa had no backbone to vote against the Bill. Perhaps their decision has been largely influenced by the Supreme Court determination in favour of the Bill, MP Suraweera said, urging the Opposition not to adopt, what he called, duplicitous strategies. The two other SLPP MPs, namely D.V. Chanaka (Hambantota) and Chanaka Madugoda (Galle), too, skipped the vote, lawmaker Suraweera said.
Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara presented the Presidents’ Entitlements (Repeal Bill) to Parliament on 7th August, 2025. It was meant to repeal the Presidents’ Entitlements Act, No. 4 of 1986.
Accordingly, any residence provided to, or monthly allowance paid to, a former President or the widow of a former President in terms of the provisions of section 2 of the repealed Act; monthly secretarial allowance paid to, and official transport and such other facilities provided to, a former President or the widow of a former President in terms of the provisions of section 3 of the repealed Act; and monthly pension paid to the widow of a former President in terms of the provisions of section 4 of the repealed Act, will be abolished.
Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne endorsed the certification on the Bill soon after the vote. Accordingly, this Bill will come into force as the Presidents’ Entitlements (Repeal) Act, No. 18 of 2025.
Lawmaker Suraweera said that those who used the media, particularly the social media, to attack the NPP over the Presidents’ Entitlements (Repeal Bill), were silent in Parliament when the vote was conducted. “Obviously, they realise the public are not in the mood to support the extravagant lifestyle of leaders. They should be ashamed of themselves for letting down Mahinda Rajapaksa after having vigorously campaigned against the Bill,” MP Suraweera said, declaring that the Supreme Court determination in respect of the issue at hand, and the vote in Parliament, particularly the Opposition giving up an opportunity to oppose what it repeatedly called politically motivated move carried out at the behest of the Tamil Diaspora, exposed them.
MP Suraweera said that the country was in such a pathetic state, economically, it couldn’t afford to squander precious public funds on ex-Presidents under any circumstances. The NPPer pointed out that contrary to claims, Mahinda Rajapaksa having to leave Wijerema Mawatha residence didn’t trigger public protests though a section of the media played politics with the issue.
By Shamindra Ferdinando 