President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, addressing a meeting held in Kalutara, said that all privileges that have been obtained illegally will be removed.
Dissanayake said that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has enjoyed undue privileges that are almost 140 times the monthly rent of a house legally provided for a retired president.
The government assessors have indicated in a report submitted to President AKD that the monthly rent of the house he is currently residing in is Rs. 4.6 million.
However, it has been revealed that by law, a retired president is entitled to be provided with a house rent equal to 1/3 of the pension.
The President further said that a proposal to abolish the pensions of members of parliament will also be passed soon.
“We spent 700 million a year on security for one president. Thousands of police, army and STF personnel. We removed everything except for sixty. If you whine more, we will remove them too.”
“If the gentleman who has sixty personnel continues to complain, I will tell you what will happen. We will not give government houses to any minister. We will not give houses to former presidents. I will write a letter right now saying that I do not want a house. But the others will not give them.”
“Mahinda’s house was sent to be valued. How much is it worth, the land has not been valued yet. Only the house was valued, according to the valuation, the monthly rent is 4.6 million. The land has not been valued yet, on Bauddhaloka Mawatha. We will buy the house, give one-third of the salary. Or you can pay the remaining money and live in that house. If the rent is not paid, we have to do it outside, we have to build this country.”
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