People not well-off to maintain former Presidents:Minister

No country in the world provides facilities to maintain former presidents 

If anyone finds it difficult to survive without pension, they can apply for ‘Aswesuma’

By Ajith Siriwardana

Amidst criticism by former politicians about the government’s plans to scrap privileges and pensions of former presidents and MPs, a Minister said it is not reasonable to burden the people to maintain former MPs.  
Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe told reporters that no country in the world provides facilities to maintain former presidents and that the government will stop former presidents being maintained with public funds.   
He said it is not a sudden decision and that the National People’s Power (NPP) promised to scrap privileges and pensions of former presidents and MPs even before the Presidential and Parliamentary elections as well.  
“Why are people further burdened to maintain Presidents when they retire? Why should they become a burden to the people? People are not well-off. 
When asked about former JVP MP Nandana Gunathilake’s emotional social media post on scrapping former MPs’ pension, the Minister said the JVP is a political movement which rejects doing politics for living and that if anyone finds it difficult to survive without pension, they can apply for “Aswesuma” welfare benefit.  
Former JVP MP Gunathilake had issued an emotional statement highlighting the severe financial hardships faced by former parliamentarians who dedicated their lives to politics and activism.  
Meanwhile, retired MPs Collective also said earlier that they were contemplating legal action if MPs pension is abolished.