Sri Lankan President and Nationwide Individuals’s Energy (NPP) get together chief Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s workplace additionally refuted reviews that the safety of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been decreased. File
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters

“A Sri Lankan Cupboard sub-committee will quickly assessment the privileges accorded to former Presidents of the nation and future actions on the matter will likely be taken primarily based on its suggestions,” the Presidential Secretariat has mentioned.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s workplace on Friday (November 2, 2024) additionally refuted reviews that the safety of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been decreased.

The assertion by the Presidential Secretariat got here after considerations raised by ex-Presidents that the brand new Sri Lankan authorities beneath President Dissanayake would slash their privileges.

Within the run-up to the September 21 election, Mr. Dissanayake had vowed to cease all privileges of ex-Presidents, claiming they had been a burden on the taxpayer.

In latest days, the Authorities has confronted criticism over the reported transfer to slash the private safety offered to former President Rajapaksa.

“The Presidential Secretariat has famous latest media reviews claiming that the safety of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been decreased,” the assertion mentioned.

“The Presidential Secretariat states that every one these reviews are false,” it added.

Moreover, a Cupboard sub-committee has been established to guage the privileges of former Presidents, and future choices and actions will likely be taken primarily based on the committee’s suggestions, it added.

Opposition get together leaders mounted an assault on Mr. Dissanayake, saying he can be accountable for any safety breach to Mr. Rajapaksa as he was nonetheless beneath menace from the LTTE separatists for ending their decades-long army marketing campaign.

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, talking at an election rally, was crucial of the Authorities’s try to scale back privileges for ex-Presidents.

Sri Lanka has six dwelling ex-Presidents or widows and their privileges are offered beneath the 1986 Presidential Privileges Act.