Chanaka Bandarage

The President’s Office has clearly articulated that it will release all the Presidential Houses to the government’s housing pool except the Colombo and Kandy Houses. The government states they will be converted to various ventures like tourist hotels, education institutions, offices etc.

The following Presidential Houses are destined to be shut down:

• Anuradhapura – in close proximity to Thuparamaya
• Mahiyanganaya – overlooking the Sorabora Wewa
• Katharagama – in close proximity to Kirivehera
• Kegalle – the Dawson Bungalow
• Jaffna – in KKS, a palatial seaside house, still unused
• Ampara Lahugala (built at the cost of over Rs 110 Crores)
• There is also the Prime Ministerial Official residence in Nuwara Eliya used by the past Presidents
• Benthota – probably there is a one there

It is important for the government to bear in mind that in 2024 the people did not elect AKD as the President in perpetuity. His sojourn is confined to 5 years. In 2029, we shall have another Presidential election. If AKD has performed well, of course people will re-elect him as the President. But, if he has performed poorly, people will elect a different President. Eg: Sajith Premadasa or Namal Rajapakse.

With this decision, the government is creating an unfair situation for future Presidents. As, they may need the Presidential Houses for their use/occupation.

If the future Presidents would require at least some of those houses, that will cost the taxpayers many millions to rebuild.

The shutdowns seem to be an unanimous decision by the government. They put this issue in their election manifesto.

The writer states as we now have them, we should keep them.

The reason for the shutdowns as given by the government is cost saving and unnecessariness.

This is not an impressive argument.

They are already built, sound houses. The government incurs expenditure only in maintaining them. That is far little when compared with the cost of rebuilding.

The current politicians may well have to answer in the future why they embarked on such decision making.

The Supreme Court in the Eppawala Phosphate case stated (in obiter) that the governments are not owners of the land and/or resources, but mere trustees:

Bulankulama v. Min. of Industrial Development (Eppawala case), S.C. Application No. 884/99 (F/R) –  For as King Devanampiya Tissa was told three centuries before the birth of Christ, we are its guardians – not its owners.

It is being reported that when he visits Anuradhapura, our President stays in a private hotel.  The  fully equipped, most comfortable, extremely secure Presidential House is located in close proximity to that hotel.

It is stated that the same has happened in Nuwara Eliya.

This is most bizarre.

The Jaffna President’s House is a colossal structure consisting of 27 rooms, located in a 200-acre property. That area of  KKS is earmarked as a high security zone. What is the rationale in shutting this down? If not for this President’s House, where else can the President safely stay when he visits Jaffna?

It is the Tamil Separatists including the T Diaspora who largely want this President’s House shut down.

The President’s House in Colombo is part and parcel of the Office of Presidency. It is the formal residence and the principal workplace for the President.

Per his/her own whim and fancy, the President simply cannot refuse to reside there.

But, this is what all our Presidents have done, except R Premadasa and DB Wijethunga.

The situation about the Heads of State Houses in developed countries is very clear – it is mandatory for the President or the Prime Minister to live in the allocated official residence. They cannot say No. Eg: The White House in Washington DC (USA), No 10 Downing Street, London (UK) and the Lodge in Canberra (Australia).

The present government has decided not to use the Temple Trees and the Speaker’s Residence for the accommodation by the Prime Minister and the Speaker respectively.

Why?

Where are they living now?

The citizens have a right to know. We are a democracy.

The President, Prime Minister and the Speaker are the most powerful positions of this country. The CJ is also a powerful position.

Knowing the importance of residing in the official residence, the CJ, the tri forces commanders, IGP have always lived in their respective official residences.

It is the politicians who have moved away from custom.

It appears currently none of the top three (the President, Prime Minister and the Speaker) are living in their respective official residences. They seem to be living in private residences. This is not good.

Public figures who hold very important positions lose their privacy to a large extent.

It is a huge price that they have to pay.

This is the case all over the world.

If they want to maintain strict privacy and confidentiality, they should not have vied for very high positions.

All our politicians, especially the 225, must be exemplary in character.

People expect good, moral, decent behaviour from our leaders/politicians, other public figures like top bureaucrats, leading sportspersons, academics, singers, top professionals etc.

Prominent public figures are role models.  They must bear an unblemished character.  They are looked to by others as examples to be imitated.  If they behave badly, people that emulate them can also become bad. It will be very bad for our children. The whole society can collapse.

Worldwide, politicians and leading figures who misbehave like engaging in bribery/corruption, criminal conduct, illicit sexual affairs, extra-marital affairs,  anti-social behaviour, vulgar conduct ultimately get rejected by the very people who adore them.

If they can’t behave honourably and decently, such public figures must quit what they are doing.

In Sri Lanka, we are a conservative society that places a high onus on tradition, values, discipline, custom, culture and history.  

Sadly, the current leaders who are Leftwing (Marxist) Liberals, do not see this as important.

They do not like to call Sri Lanka a Sinhala Buddhist country.

The USA, Canada, Australia are multicultural countries. Millions of migrants flock to them. But, they identify themselves as Judeo-Christian countries. Each day the Australian parliament commences proceedings after reciting a Bible verse – not from the Bhagavat Geeta or the Dhammapada.

Reverting to the official residence argument– all these residences are magnificent buildings with beautiful gardens. They resemble the dignity, eminence, solemnity and the power of the occupier. The President is the executive head of this land – he possesses enormous power. We expect him to lead the country wisely, kindly and with lots of empathy.

When our leaders live in those beautiful residences that brings pride, joy and positivity to the masses. We proudly show them to others especially to foreigners, tourists.

But, if they are shut down and kept in the dark (like now), that shows the downwardness of the nation.

In such a situation, whether they like it or not, the President, Prime Minister and the Speaker must reside in the official houses provided for them. There are regulatory provisions that prescribe the provision of all facilities to those houses by the state.

Note, all the High Commissioners and Ambassadors who are in Sri Lanka live in their official residences. They all are well kept beautiful residences. These dignitaries frequently throw out parties at their state expense.

With respect, by living in unknown private residences, our said leaders may be bringing their most important positions into disrepute.

As soon as the new government came to power the road adjacent to the Temple Trees, specifically the stretch from St Michael’s roundabout to the Rotunda roundabout was reopened. This road had been closed for security reasons for approximately 20 years. As very significant modifications were needed to be made, lakhs of rupees were spent on that project.

What happens when a new PM comes to that position and that government decides to re-close that stretch of the road for security reasons?

Until recently, the Speaker had a beautiful residence erected on the banks of the Diyawanna Lake, built in 2000 (prior to that the Speaker’s Residence was the ‘Mumtaz Mahal’ in Colpetty – another magnificent residence). We now hear that the Speaker’s residence has been converted to some form of a parliamentary office and that the Speaker lives in a rented house in Lauris  Road, Colombo 5.

If this is true, then, does the government pay the rent for that property? Why? How much?

Isn’t there space in the current parliament (a gigantic structure) to put up that new parliamentary office?

When a new speaker comes to the seat in the future, he/she may want to reside in the Official residence, but, if that house is already gone? A future government may need to build a new Speaker’s Residence?

It is indeed sad to hear that the Speaker of this country lives in a rented house.

Rather than shutting them down or converting them to other ventures, these precious government houses must be preserved at least for the use of the future incumbents of those most important positions.

Overall, in the past 10 months the government has fallen from one pitfall to another. Its popularity has plummeted. Some Ministers like the Agriculture have brought forth much discredit to the government. That person does not deserve a place in the Cabinet. Sadly the Transport Ministry is still slack. Commuters (bus/train) face untold hardships on a daily basis. This is due to the country’s bad transport system. In the omnibus sector, private bus owners have the upper hand – basically they run it the way they want it.

One silver lining is the gradual improvement of the economy. Even the IMF has congratulated the government. The government was courageous to open up the economy for vehicle imports.

The government did well to resolve the Sevanagala issue.

The government deserves a pat on the back for not engaging in bribery and corruption. This is the biggest vice this country had for 77 years.

The government’s decision to shut down all the Ministerial houses (about 50) is a great one. No decent country in the world provides Ministers with residential accommodation, except of course Sri Lanka.