Crowds and monks greet Mahinda Rajapaksa as state perks stripped away

Sri Lanka’s former president and accused war criminal Mahinda Rajapaksa returned to his family residence in Tangalle today, after being forced to vacate his luxury state-funded mansion in Colombo under new legislation scrapping benefits for former heads of state.

Rajapaksa, who oversaw the military’s genocidal assault on Tamils in 2009, was greeted at Carlton House by thousands of supporters, including Sinhala Buddhist monks, in a show of strength that underscored his enduring popularity among Sinhala nationalist constituencies.

The return comes after parliament overwhelmingly passed the President’s Entitlements (Repeal) Act, No. 18 of 2025, which abolishes state-funded residences, allowances, pensions for widows, transport facilities, and secretarial support for ex-presidents and retired MPs. Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne signed the measure into law yesterday.

Rajapaksa, who continues to evade accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity, sought to use his departure from Wijerama Mawatha in Colombo to showcase his foreign ties. “Prior to my departure from the official residence at Wijerama, I was pleased to receive a courtesy call from H.E. Qi Zhenhong, Ambassador of China to Sri Lanka,” he posted on social media, sharing photographs. “I appreciate his visit and fondly recall the enduring friendship between our nations, both diplomatic and personal.”

Several politicians and foreign diplomats also visited him at the residence. His spokesperson Manoj Gamage declared that Rajapaksa “does not intend to remain in the official residence even for 24 hours” under the new law.

Former president Maithripala Sirisena has also vacated his official residence on Hector Kobbekaduwa Mawatha in Colombo.

The repeal bill, introduced by Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, fulfils current Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s election pledge to end lavish perks for former leaders, which had become a symbol of political excess. Rajapaksa’s mansion in Colombo was revealed to carry a monthly rental value of over Rs. 4.6 million.