Sri Lankan Parliament Votes to Scrap Pensions Amid Economic Challenges

Sri Lankan legislators voted to scrap pensions for lawmakers, fulfilling a government promise amid economic crisis. The decision follows public outrage over elites' perks amidst a severe economic downturn in 2022. The government also abolished benefits for former presidents, addressing public demand for justice in challenging times.

In a decisive move to address public outrage, Sri Lankan lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to eliminate pensions for themselves. This action fulfills a crucial pre-election promise by the ruling government, which leans towards Marxist ideologies.

The new legislation, passed by a significant majority of 154 votes against just two dissenters in a 225-member parliament, aims to halt pension payments to any lawmaker, even those already receiving them. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, elected in 2024, had committed to this change during his campaign, tapping into widespread public resentment over past mismanagement that led to the country's worst economic crisis in 2022.

The economic turmoil, characterized by extreme shortages of essentials like food, medicine, and fuel, pushed then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign. Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara underscored that the fulfillment of this election promise was vital as Sri Lanka seeks to recover from declaring bankruptcy last April, restructuring its substantial $83 billion debt under an IMF-backed plan.

(With inputs from agencies.)