What are the privileges enjoyed by former presidents?

K. Prasanna

There is a prolonged debate on privileges granted to former Executive Presidents of Sri Lanka and this was one of the key issues that widely spoken on political stages during the Presidential Election concluded recently.

Nevertheless, the Presidential Secretariat during the previous regime took measures to curtail certain privileges enjoyed by former Presidents. These included the nonpayment of electricity bills, water bills of their official residences and their mobile phone bills

The decision was based on a previous precedence during President Mahinda Rajapaksa regime. Following a Supreme Court case regarding privileges entrusted to former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, then Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva gave a ruling that funds could be allocated for former Presidents only to cover their official residence, vehicle maintenance and fuel.

Even though limitations were introduced for payments to past Presidents, the Presidential Remuneration Act no 4 of 1986 states that “Every former president or president’s widow should be provided with an appropriate house free of rent for him or her to live during their lifetime. If an appropriate residence could not be provided a rent allowance equal to one-third of the pension of the relevant president must be paid and further, past presidents and their spouses should be provided a pension, office staff, official residence, security, vehicles and fuel expenses. 

Based on this Act a sum of Rs.37Mn had been reserved as provision for the year 2023. Out of that Rs.22.6Mn had been spent during the first six months alone as per information released by the presidential secretariat under the Right to Information Act.

It is reported that for the year 2024, a sum of Rs.41.28Mn had been allocated for pensions, office and fuel allowance of past presidents. This is an increase of Rs.4Mn over the previous year and as such it is observed that payments made to former presidents are increased each year.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga held office as the president of Sri Lanka from 12th November 1994 to 19th November 2005. Thereafter a monthly pension of Rs.25,000/- was paid to her for 10 years up to the year 2015. From the year 2016 onwards, she was paid a monthly pension of Rs.97,500/- and in addition Rs.100,000/- as allowance for a private secretary and Rs.500,000/- as fuel allowance.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa held office as the president of Sri Lanka from 19 November 2005 to 9 January 2015. He is paid pensions for posts held as Member of parliament, former Prime Minister and former President. A sum of Rs.71,500/- has been paid to him in January 2015 as presidential pension and from there onwards a sum of Rs.97,500/- has been paid per month. In addition, a sum of Rs.50,000/- as private secretary allowance and Rs. 704,100/- as fuel allowance is paid to him.

Former president Mr. Maithripala Sirisena held office as the president of Sri Lanka from 9th January 2015 to 18th November 2019. A sum of Rs.48,750/- has been paid  to him in November 2019 as an allowance and from there onwards a sum of Rs.97,500/- has been paid per month. In addition a sum of Rs.100,000/- as private secretary allowance and Rs. 704,100/- as fuel allowance is paid to him.

Former president Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapakse held office as the president of Sri Lanka from 18th November 2019 to 14th July 2022. A sum of Rs.56,612/90 has been paid  to him for July 2022 and from there onwards a sum of Rs.97,500/- has been paid per month. In addition a sum of Rs.100,000/- as private secretary allowance and Rs. 704,100/- as fuel allowance is paid to him.

A sum of Rs.16,666/67 per month has been paid to Mrs. Hema Premadasa for 21 years up to the year 2015 under the former president’s widow relief scheme. From there onwards a sum of Rs.65,000/- per month has been paid. In addition a sum of Rs.23,000/- is paid as private secretary allowance. No fuel allowance has been paid.

It is a specialty that up to September 2024 a sum of Rs.163.24Mn has been paid as pensions to the former President’s widow Hema Premadasa, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, former President Maithripala Sirisena and former President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

In addition to these, when the Department of National Budget made budgetary provisions before July 2023 a special expense item was created to incur other miscellaneous expenses of past presidents. Payment of secretaries’ salaries, water and electricity bills is done through that expense item. The presidential secretariat states that they are unable to provide separate details of secretaries allowance, fuel allowance, water bills and electricity bills incurred on account of each former president and former president’s widow.

As such a sum of Rs.153.14Mn has been allocated for the period 2015 to 2023 and up to July 2023 a sum of Rs.126.02Mn had been spent out of the allocated funds. Further according to information channels, during the period  of the spread of covid pandemic and critical economic situation a higher allocation had been made in respect of past presidents. 

However, by now it is reported that water bills and electricity bills of former presidents and former presidents’ widows are not paid by the presidential secretariat.   

Similar to other government servants, former presidents too received allowances and privileges during their tenure of office. However they continue to enjoy huge privileges from government funds even after leaving office. This situation creates inequalities and will be treated as a discrimination by the people of Sri Lanka.