News
Political stability prerequisite for talks with IMF – former CBSL Dy Governor
New amendment proposed by Romesh, Manohara not acceptable
By Shamindra Ferdinando
One-time Deputy Governor of the Central Bank Dr. W. A. Wijewardena yesterday (11) urged the beleaguered Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) government to restore political stability before talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington or face the consequences.
Dr. Wijewardena said so when The Island sought his views on the forthcoming talks between Sri Lanka and the IMF scheduled to begin on April 18.
Dr. Wijewardena, who resigned in 2009 after having served as Deputy Governor for a period of nine years said that political stability here was a prerequisite for Washington talks.
Political parties represented in Parliament couldn’t be unaware of the danger in sitting down for talks in Washington while a massive countrywide protest campaign was on, demanding the resignation of the President and the entire government.
Former General Secretary of the Communist Party D.E.W. Gunasekera, too, warned protracted political dispute within the ruling coalition and another between the government and the Opposition could undermine ongoing efforts to restore economic stability.
Pointing out that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s offer to accommodate Opposition political parties in the cabinet in a bid to restore stability in the wake of Mirihana violence had been rejected, the former Minister said that the SLPP, too, was in a much weaker position today.
Contrary to various reports in mainstream and social media, the government hadn’t been able to finalize an interim cabinet with or without the Opposition for over a week, the CP veteran said, adding that the resignation of Ali Sabry, PC, one of the four ministers sworn in as ministers on April 04, but his decision to continue certainly didn’t help the government.
The government delegation to talks with the IMF comprised Finance Minister Ali Sabry, Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena and Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe.
Former lawmaker Gunasekera said that further delay in resolving the political crisis would cause irreparable damage to the national economy. Responding to another query, the veteran politician said that pestering forex crisis had been transformed in to the worst ever situation with the toxic combination of financial, political and social crises overwhelming the country.
Meanwhile, President of the Bar Association (BASL) Saliya Peiris, PC, yesterday (11) said the BASL couldn’t take a stand on proposed amendment to address the issues at hand now.
The PC said so in response to The Island query whether the BASL would comment on the amendment proposed by two of Sri Lanka’s eminent lawyers, Romesh de Silva and Manohara de Silva, both members of the 09-member team that recently finalized draft Constitution as requested by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The BASL Chief said that they could respond in case the government made its position public in respect of the proposed amendment.
The text of the proposed AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION
The following Article to be inserted after Article 44 and shall be numbered as Article 44A
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Constitution, the President may in extraordinary and special circumstances –
(a) Remove from office the Prime Minister and members of the Cabinet of Ministers
(b) Appoint a Prime Minister in accordance with paragraph (3) of Article 43 subject to the approval of Parliament.
(c) Appoint a Cabinet of Ministers consisting of not more than fifteen Ministers who –
i. Have the expertise in the subject and function assigned to him under sub paragraph (d) and,
ii. are not Members of Parliament or of any political party:
Provided that, the appointment of each of the members of the Cabinet of Ministers is approved by Parliament:
Provided further that the Appointment of each of such members is approved by the majority of the members of Parliament who are not members of the party of which the Prime Minister is a member
(d) Assign subjects and functions to such Minister, provided that such Minister has the expertise in any such subject and is capable of performing the functions so assigned.
(2)The Cabinet of Ministers appointed under paragraph (1) shall function for a period of one year and may be reappointed until the next Parliamentary election is concluded, subject to the approval of Parliament
Manohara de Silva told The Island said that they did it as a citizens’ initiative in the interest of the public.
However, Opposition political and other civil society sources explained that the proposal made by the two President’s Counsels was contrary to the ongoing campaign demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the removal of the entire cabinet of ministers. The proposed amendment sought to strengthen the executive presidency further and was nothing but a further boost to the dictatorial 20th Amendment enacted in late Oct 2020.
Top Samagi Jana Balavegaya spokesperson Mujibur Rahuman said that the vast majority of members of Parliament opposed the 20A now. They wouldn’t under any circumstances back an amendment meant to further consolidate executive powers against the backdrop of calamitous 20A, the Colombo District MP said.
Manohara de Silva said that a copy of the proposed amendment was also submitted to SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.
SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera recently told The Island that their party wouldn’t in anyway support further consolidation of the 20A. Instead, the SLFP felt that the 19th Amendment should be restored with amendments in line with overall efforts to save the country from anarchy.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
