Karu pleads with govt. to reconsider decision to abolish MPs' pensions

Former Speaker and Chairman of the Retired Members of Parliament Collective, Karu Jayasuriya, has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to reconsider the government's decision to abolish pensions of former parliamentarians, warning that the move would affect about 490 retired and serving members.

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Speaking to the media, Jayasuriya said, "For many, these pensions are essential for survival. Abolishing them will devastate the livelihoods of retired legislators and their families.

Secretary of the Collective, former MP Pemasiri Manage, said that four party leaders currently received pensions..

Six party leaders, including Wimal Weerawansa, Dinesh Gunasekara, Tissa Witarana, and Vasudeva Nanayakkara, would lose their pensions if the Bill is enacted.

Manage said around 150 spouses of former MPs also relied on pensions, with a total of 490 former MPs and their families affected. He added that the pension of the late Lohan Ratwatte would now go to his widow.