The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, thank you. I have a principal request. Only one Cabinet Minister is present, with a few State Ministers. I wish to speak about the Chitrasiri Committee Report. This report was tasked with recommending on salaries and entitlements of MPs, former Ministers and former Presidents. It was handed to the President on 02.12.2024. Your move to abolish MPs’ pensions is based on that report. Therefore, the Government must first table the Chitrasiri Committee Report in Parliament. I asked for it and was told it would be given, but it has not been made available.

¶ 02 Second, this is not a measure that should be rushed. We know MPs make significant sacrifices. Public servants work eight hours and are paid overtime; MPs often work 16–17 hours in their constituencies with no such compensation—performing multiple roles, including legislative and public service.

¶ 03 Historically, the first proposal on this came regarding C. W. W. Kannangara—the father of free education. He left a lucrative legal career to serve in politics and later became seriously ill. In 1961, he wrote to then Speaker R. S. Pelpola requesting immediate relief of Rs. 10,000. Mr. Dahanayake brought a motion, and subsequently Rs. 15,000 more was granted, and then a Rs. 500 allowance by the State Council. That was how support for former Members began. On 21 December 1976, further proposals were debated; I have that Hansard. Please read it.

¶ 04 Today, by your political culture, you have dragged the MP to the ground. In the 1950s, even Mr. Bandaranaike removed a Cabinet Minister over corruption allegations. If there are wrongdoers, act by law and keep them out. But do not vilify the entire institution.

¶ 05 You also now do what you decry: you are taking official residences, importing vehicles, air-conditioning and tiling MPs’ government quarters, adding curtains and furniture, and issuing gas cookers—these are your actions. Meanwhile, the MP’s basic salary is Rs. 54,000; from that, a pension would be only around Rs. 18,000–20,000. Can a human survive on that? About 300 former MPs live at home with no income; about 116 widows; four disabled children depend on this pension. If 70–80 did wrong, punish them—but do not penalize all.

¶ 06 I have before me the “Statement of Receipts and Payments for the year ended 31.12.2015” of the JVP. It shows MPs’ salaries and allowances, including parliamentary, provincial and local authority remunerations, being paid into the party; even MP pensions—about Rs. 3,290,000—have been taken into the party fund from innocent retired Members. No other party did that; they left those pensions with the recipients. Bring your Bill if you must; we will cooperate—but pay the pensions of the old Members.

¶ 07 Please implement this Bill prospectively, not retrospectively. Do not punish those who already depend on it and cannot afford medicine.

¶ 08 On finances: in 2023, with total government revenue of Rs. 3,048,822 million, only about Rs. 468 million went to MPs’ pensions—about 0.0001548. In 2022, about Rs. 450 million out of Rs. 1,979,184 million—about 0.0002058. This is a tiny proportion. Globally, many systems have contributory pension funds for MPs, or lump-sum payments after a minimum service. Consider such models.

¶ 09 Finally, many of your own side are academics—professors, PhDs, intellectuals. Where will they go after five years? Do not stage a show. Make it prospective; let us forgo future pensions if you insist, but do not strip the innocent retired of their livelihood.

¶ 10 Thank you.