Sri Lanka votes to eject former leader Rajapaksa from state mansion | International

COLOMBO, Sept 10, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Sri Lanka's parliament voted on Wednesday to evict former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and two others from state-owned mansions under austerity measures introduced by the new leftist government. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's party voted en masse to endorse a bill that will repeal a 1986 law that granted former leaders luxury accommodation and secretarial services. Only one opposition MP voted against the bill, which was passed with a two-thirds majority of 150 in the 225-member assembly. The bill was cleared a day after the Supreme Court ruled that stripping former heads of state of their privileges did not violate the Constitution. The legislation followed Rajapaksa's refusal this year to vacate a lavish residence in the...