• MR’s spokesperson issues clarion call against ‘politically motivated measures’ of Govt. 

All living former Presidents should unite against the current National People's Power Government's unjust actions, including politically-motivated measures such as the reduction of their security detail, opined the Media Spokesperson for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, attorney Manoj Gamage.

Speaking at a rally in Kalutara on 19 January, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that the number of security personnel assigned to former Presidents had been reduced to 60 and warned that this allocation would also be withdrawn if they (former President) cavil.

Commenting to The Daily Morning on the President's statement, Gamage claimed that it is highly inappropriate for a President to make such a threatening statement. He added that it establishes that the Government's decision to reduce former Presidents' security was not based on proper threat assessments, but rather on political motives. "What the President essentially said was that they reduced Rajapaksa's security and would remove the remaining 60 security personnel if he cavils. This proves that the decision to reduce his security was politically motivated. For a President to make such statements is disgusting." Noting that former Presidents are also citizens, Gamage said that any threatening remark directed at them should be considered a threat to all citizens. "We have always maintained that security is not a privilege. Mahinda Rajapaksa ended the war; former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga lost her husband and one eye due to politics and terrorism; and former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa also survived an assassination attempt. They, along with all former Presidents, have a right to adequate security. The President should have more professional and moral values. Making statements driven by hatred is not what he should do," he said.  

During the rally, President Dissanayake also revealed that the Government’s Valuation Department had assessed the rent for Mahinda Rajapaksa's official residence in Colombo 7 at Rs. 4.6 million per month, excluding the land. He noted that according to the Constitution, a former President is entitled to either a residence or an allowance equivalent to one-third of their salary (Rs. 30,000). Rajapaksa, he added, must either pay the difference or vacate the premises.  

In response to these claims, Gamage charged that the President’s legal advisors had misled him. "The Presidents’ Entitlements Act, No. 4 of 1986, clearly states that former Presidents should be provided with a "suitable" official residence. Only if such a residence cannot be provided should an allowance that amounts to one third of their salary be given. Former Presidents like Rajapaksa and Kumaratunga have already been provided with suitable residences by previous governments. Therefore, the current Government cannot evict them for political reasons.'  

Speaking further, he said that President Dissanayake must recognise that he is no longer just a political party leader but the President of the entire country. "He cannot make decisions to appease party members or act on political grounds. We believe that all living former Presidents should unite against the Government’s and the President’s unjust behaviour."

In October 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers had approved a proposal to appoint a committee to look into the privileges granted to parliamentarians, ministers, and ex-Presidents. They were tasked with submitting a detailed report within two months with suitable recommendations to limit the entitlements, allowances, and privileges in a rational manner, and their final report was handed over to President Dissanayake recently.