Colombo, September 11: Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa vacated his official residence on Wijerama Road, Colombo, on Wednesday, following the enactment of the Presidents’ Entitlements (Repeal) Act, which requires former heads of state to return government-allocated residences.
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam confirmed that Rajapaksa, 78, was leaving for his hometown in Tangalle “in adherence to the country’s law and order” after Parliament passed the bill on September 10. A large crowd and several politicians, along with foreign representatives, gathered outside the residence to witness his departure.
Kariyawasam described Rajapaksa as a leader who guided youth during the unrest of 1988–89, ended Sri Lanka’s 30-year civil war in 2009, and spearheaded development projects across the country. He stressed that the former President has always respected the rule of law and would continue his political activities from elsewhere.
“Vacating his official residence is not a disappointment for him but rather a reflection of his respect for the law,” Kariyawasam said, contrasting Rajapaksa with those he accused of engaging in violence and corruption in the past.
Under the new law, passed amid calls for austerity and accountability, former presidents lose lifetime entitlements to state residences and must return such properties to the government.
Background:
Mahinda Rajapaksa served as Sri Lanka’s president from 2005 to 2015 and was credited with ending the country’s decades-long civil war against the LTTE. However, his presidency was also marked by allegations of human rights abuses, authoritarianism, and corruption. After losing power in 2015, Rajapaksa staged a political comeback, serving briefly as prime minister in 2018 and again from 2019 to 2022 before resigning during the country’s worst economic crisis in decades.
The repeal of lifetime privileges for former presidents comes as Sri Lanka continues to grapple with economic instability and public demands for political reforms following last year’s mass protests.