CBK to get same pension as Rajapaksa
A resolution has been tabled in Parliament by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to place the pension entitlement of former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga on par with the entitlement enjoyed by her successor Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The resolution placed on the Order Paper of Parliament yesterday seeks to revise the monthly pension entitlement of former President Mrs. Kumaratunga from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 97,500 to make it on par with the amount paid to Mr. Rajapaksa.
The resolution has been tabled in terms of the Constitution’s Article 36 which gives Parliament the power to introduce a resolution to determine the salary, allowances and pension entitlement of the holders of the office of President.A resolution moved on March 4, 1986 states that the pension entitlement of the holder of the office of President shall be a sum equivalent to the salary the President was entitled to receive immediately before he or she ceased to hold such office.
Accordingly, from 1988 onwards, the pensions paid to former Presidents namely J. R. Jayewardene, D. B. Wijetunga, Hema Premadasa, who is the widow of former President R. Premadasa, and to Ms. Kumaratunga were Rs. 25,000 a month — equivalent to the salary of the President. However, Parliament by resolution revised the salary of the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 97, 500 a month in July 2006.
Remunerations or allowances paid to ministers and the members of Parliament too were revised at the same time. Coinciding with the revision of remunerations or allowances paid to the ministers and the Members of Parliament, pensions of former ministers and members of parliament too were revised. However, only the pension paid to former President Kumaratunga has not been revised in keeping with the salary revision of the President.
Hence in considering the pension entitlement of Rs. 97,500 paid to former President Rajapaksa as a result of this salary revision, an anomaly has arisen in respect of the pension entitlement of former President Kumaratunga who is receiving a monthly pension of Rs. 25,000 at present.
Hence the resolution has been introduced to correct this anomaly and states that it is just and reasonable to rectify this anomaly.
Along with this, the monthly pension paid to Ms. Premadasa, too, will be increased and will be equivalent to two-thirds of Rs. 97,500. The revised pension entitlements will be paid from January next year.
(Source: The Sunday Times)
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Is the former corrupt strongman MR entitled to to all the goodies like former presidents are entitled to especially as he has come back as a MP for a second free feeding? Does he not have to forgo the priveledges entiled to a retiring President? Can someone please explain.
Udurawana,
Yes, If all the allegations made against MR by RW My3 are true then MR should not be entitled to any pension. In fact he wont need a pension. But the question is how come the current regime has not proved any of the many allegations so far. Prior to the Presidential and General elections there was a lot of big talk about having proof of all the monies stolen by the Rajapakse regime but still no verdict. Also is it not strange that the now Finance minster was also supposed to be one the biggest crooks according to UNP until he changed sides and then his file was swept under the carpet.
Have you not heard the saying Innocent until proven guilty. So I suggest you stop and think with your head and not your bottom before you talk so badly about a man who saved us from the crazy Barbarians like LTTE.. Show the man some respect for the good things he did for the country and let the current government put their words to action and prove to all of us that MR and his family are crooks, and then I will agree with you. Or are you one of the many blind fools that we have in Sri Lanka.
Fernando,
You are missing my point, which is, was MR entitled to all privileges due to retired former Presidents as he has now come back as a normal MP now for a second go? Everyone obviously know that he does not need a pension, the reason being he has already looted the country and not because he accumulated wealthe the legal way. The truth will eventually come out as currently there are too many rougues from the former regime who have crept into the current joint administration and trying to sabotage things. For how long more are you going to hang on to the tigers’ tail? The whole world has moved on. It is on that wimp that MR fooled the illiterate for a whole decade. The diamond studded rings in most of his fingers themselves would cost a fortune the equivalent value of which cannot be saved by an average Srilankan working their arse off their entire lifetime. I return your compliments “do not talk through your backside”, thank you, as your brain is elsewhere!
25000 to 97000 what a hike this is.
I have never seen any pensioner in the country get such a hike.
Is this call YAHAPALANAYA? Just wanted to know may be we don’t aware of the correct meaning.
Or is this still going against MR and catching up with him.
Ultimate punishment and burdens will arrive at the public.
Why people are still silent?