The Hon. Harshana Rajakaruna
Hon. Harshana Rajakaruna argued that MPs should receive pensions to provide financial security and help attract qualified people to Parliament, while cautioning against portraying all MPs as corrupt. He questioned the Government’s consistency on pledges relating to voluntary service, fuel and electricity price reductions, VAT, abolition of the Executive Presidency, and constitutional reform, citing low implementation of promises. He also raised concerns about alleged interference in Parliament’s independent administration, referring to action involving the Deputy Secretary-General and possible moves concerning the Secretary-General, and called for protection of institutional independence.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, our party’s leader has clearly stated our position: MPs should have a pension to ensure stability and attract qualified professionals to Parliament. Without some security, capable individuals may avoid politics, and sitting MPs may be tempted to seek funds improperly for post‑parliament life.
¶ 02 Do not label all MPs as thieves. Are veterans like Vasudeva Nanayakkara or Hemakumara Nanayakkara thieves? Do not degrade the entire House.
¶ 03 Your party funds and supports members through a central fund—even repairing roofs. Not every party has such resources. You campaigned saying you would work voluntarily without salaries; yet members are being paid via party funds. Please be consistent.
¶ 04 You also campaigned to reduce fuel by Rs. 100, cut electricity bills by 33%, remove VAT on education and essentials, abolish the Executive Presidency, and bring a new Constitution. Where are these? Verité’s “Anura Meter” shows only about 10% of pledges implemented—please check.
¶ 05 Further, serious concerns arise about interference with independent institutions. The Deputy Secretary‑General of Parliament has been removed; there are moves against the Secretary‑General as well, per a document placed in the Library titled “Preliminary Inquiry concerning Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary‑General G. K. A. Chaminda Kumara Kularatne,” recommending action even against the Secretary‑General K. A. Rohanadeera. Do not allow external forces to run Parliament. Protect democracy and the independence of institutions.
Provenance
- Source
- Hansard, Tuesday, 17 February 2026 ·No. 23279 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
- Page · column
- not yet extracted — page/column anchors are not in the current dataset; the source PDF is the citable location.
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/lk/speeches/5869
Cite as: The Hon. Harshana Rajakaruna. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 17 February 2026. No. 23279. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/5869