News
13 A should be abolished in line with GR’s mandate – Gevindu
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Yuthukama leader Gevindu Cumaratunga, MP, yesterday (07) said that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution should be abolished.
The SLPP National List MP emphasized that President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s declaration to fully implement the controversial amendment, forced on Sri Lanka by India, was not acceptable to the vast majority of people here.
The civil society activist said so in response to media queries, following a meeting of Nidahas Janatha Sandhanaya, at the SLFP office, at Darley Road.
Lawmaker Cumaratunga said that President Wickremesinghe had conveniently forgotten that over 6.9 mn people voted for SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa, at the last presidential election, in Nov. 2019, and then gave his party a 2/3 majority to introduce a new Constitution. A nine-member expert committee, that formulated a comprehensive set of proposals, handed over them to the government, MP Cumaratunga said, urging the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa administration to unveil the draft Constitution.
MP Cumaratunga reiterated that Sri Lanka needed what he called a post-war Constitution that reflected the eradication of separatist terrorism. Full implementation of the 13th Amendment would only strengthen the separatist agenda and cause irreversible damage to Sri Lanka’s unitary status, the MP declared.
Recalling great sacrifices made by the armed forces, to bring the LTTE down to its knees, MP Cumaratunga questioned how President Wickremesinghe, who also served as the Commander-in-Chief of armed forces, pursued a strategy that undermined Sri Lanka’s triumph over the LTTE.
Commenting on President Wickremesinghe’s assurance that he wouldn’t betray the Sinhala community and he wouldn’t go beyond the 13th Amendment, MP Cumaratunga said that the UNP leader owed an explanation regarding the utterly reckless constitution making process undertaken by his Yahapalana administration. “We remember what he did with the likes of TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran and UNP National List MP Dr. Jayampathy Wickremaratne in line with the overall Geneva strategy.”
MP Cumaratunga said that India forced the 13th Amendment on Sri Lanka during the tail end of JRJ’s rule that received an extension by way of an utterly corrupt referendum held in late Dec. 1982 to avoid parliamentary elections. The civil society activist said that seven past Presidents, including JRJ, refrained from granting police and land powers as envisaged in the 13th Amendment whereas Wickremesinghe, who entered Parliament on the National List, after being rejected by the electorate, and was elected President by Parliament ,with the strength of the SLPP therein, but subsequently wanted to split the country.
The UNP leader had no mandate even to contemplate such a course of action. However, President Wickremesinghe could seek a fresh mandate if he really intended to go ahead with full implementation of the controversial law, introduced in late 1987, at a time a foreign Army occupied the Northern and Eastern Provinces and several terrorist groups were on the rampage there.
Perhaps, political parties and groups represented in Parliament should be reminded that the Supreme Court invalidated the merger of the Eastern Province with the Northern Province in Oct. 2006, MP Cumaratunga said.
Commenting on President Wickremesinghe’s declaration that he would grant police and land powers in terms of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, MP Cumaratunga said that then the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) shouldn’t be an issue as it, too, was the current law.
What is the JVP/Jathika Jana Balavegaya stand on the PTA? MP Cumaratunga asked. Pointing out that JJB National List MP Dr. Harini Amatasuriya had declared there was no harm in fully implementing 13tn Amendment due to it being part of the Constitution, MP Cumaratunga asked whether JVP/Jathika Jana Balavegaya would support PTA.
MP Cumaratunga said that contrary to public perception, the JVP cooperated with the UNP on numerous occasions, both in and outside Parliament.
The Yuthukama leader said that he was quite surprised by President Wickremesinghe’s response to his stand at the party leaders’ meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat, on January 01. The President’s assertion that both were National List MPs against the backdrop of him challenging the UNP leader’s right to grant police and land powers is irrelevant, MP Cumaratunga said.
President Wickremesinghe should keep in mind that he was there to complete the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s five-year term.
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
