COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — In a sweeping legislative action addressing public anger over economic mismanagement, Sri Lanka’s parliament voted decisively on Tuesday to eliminate pension benefits for lawmakers. The bill passed with overwhelming support, receiving 154 votes in favor with only two oppositions in the 225-member assembly.
The move fulfills a central campaign pledge by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s Marxist-leaning government, elected in 2024 amid widespread resentment toward political elites blamed for the nation’s devastating 2022 economic collapse. The new legislation terminates payments to all current recipients and those who would have qualified under the previous system, which provided pensions after just five years of parliamentary service.
This represents the administration’s second major austerity measure targeting political privileges, following September’s abolition of perks for former presidents that included state-funded housing, allowances, pensions, transportation, and dedicated offices with staff for ex-leaders and their widows.
Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, who presented the bill, emphasized that lawmakers had “no moral right” to receive pensions while the nation struggles to recover from its worst economic crisis. The country declared bankruptcy in April 2022 with over $83 billion in debt, prompting a $2.9 billion International Monetary Fund bailout package in 2023.
Sri Lanka’s economic devastation—characterized by severe shortages of food, medicine, fuel, and electricity—sparked mass protests that ultimately forced former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from office. The crisis stemmed from economic mismanagement compounded by COVID-19 pandemic impacts and 2019 terrorism attacks that crippled the vital tourism industry.
The government recently announced completion of debt restructuring agreements with bilateral, multilateral, and private creditors, seeking $17 billion in debt service relief as the nation continues its recovery journey.