News
2020 GE: Polls monitors get about Rs. 56 mn from donors
…another Rs. 2.5 mn to ensure peaceful election
by Shamindra Ferdinando
Two leading polls monitors-PAFFREL (People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections) and CMEV (Center for Monitoring Elections) received approximately Rs 50 mn and Rs 6 mn respectively from donors in support of their operations.
Executive Director of PAFREL Rohana Hettiarachchi and National Coordinator of CMEV Manjula Gajanayake said that they would be issuing detailed reports soon on the operation undertaken at the 2019 general election.
The Island sought explanation regarding their operating expenditure after they revealed the high cost of electing an MP. The PAFFREL estimated the cost of electing an MP at approximately Rs. 55 mn whereas the CMEV estimated the cost at about Rs. 77 mn.
In terms of the Right to Information Act enacted on Aug 4, 2016, the public could seek information even from civil society organisations that receive foreign funding.
Asked to explain the vast discrepancy in the amounts mentioned by the two organisations, Hettiarachchi said that his outfit divided the Election Commission (EC) allocation amounting to Rs 10 bn by 196 as the remaining 29 members were appointed through the National List. Responding to another query, Hettiarachchi said that PAFFREL didn’t take expenses borne by political parties, individual contestants as well as the funds received by them in support of their campaigns.
Gajanayake pointed out that the CMEV, having estimated the EC budget for 2019 parliamentary election at Rs 8.5 bn, also took into consideration funding received by political parties and individual contestants from various sources, both here and overseas. Therefore, the CMEV on the basis of all estimated funds received by those in the fray placed the cost of electing a lawmaker at Rs 77 mn.
Gajanayake noted that some contestants spent extravagantly on costly television and social media campaigns.
Both Hettiarachchi and Gajanayake emphasized that corona epidemic caused sharp increase in the EC’s budget. The poll couldn’t be held as originally planned on April 25, 2020 due to the outbreak of epidemic in the second week of March.
Asked how the CMEV had funded its polls monitoring project, Gajanayake said that the Management Systems International Inc. provided required funds amounting to Rs 6 mn. Gajanayake said that a detailed report would be prepared though he was unable to go into details at the moment. According to Gajanayake, their primary objective was to ascertain the expenditure incurred by political parties for propaganda. “We bought nine television sets, four lap tops, six hand phones and some desks and chairs required by the staff,” Gajanayake said, adding that the monitoring process was carried out over two months by 40 staff and two permanent employees. Gajanayake said that they worked as many as 18 hours a day on some days. The CMEV attributed two day workshop for the staff, other training programmes and facilities to the overall cost of the operation amounting to Rs 6 mn.
The Management Systems International Inc is a powerful US consulting organisation engaged in a spate of projects in various parts of the world, including Asia.
Hettiarachchi said that PaFFREL received funding amount to Rs 50 mn from about seven donors, including Norway and Canada. Responding to another query, Hettiarachchi said that a detailed account would be released later. “We provided 550,000 face masks to the EC in support of the operation. Face masks were distributed among polling booths countrywide in case some voters turned up without face masks.”
PaFFREL conducted the largest operation countrywide thanks to sufficient funds provided by donors.
Meanwhile, executive director of CaFFE (Campaign for Free and Fair Election) Ahamed Manas Makeen yesterday told The Island that in spite of submitting several proposals seeking donations he couldn’t raise funds for countywide polls monitoring work. However, a foreign mission provided Rs 2.5 mn to undertake an initiative to promote a peaceful election. According to him, promoting a peaceful election differed from conducting a countrywide polls monitoring operation.
Gajayanayake said that CMEV published advertisements in the media requesting information from public regarding campaign finances. However, public response was low, Gajanayake said, adding that much more organized effort on the part of the civil society was needed to further improve the election process.
Police headquarters spokesman and attorney-at-law Jaliya Senaratne said that the general election was peaceful. There hadn’t been serious violence in any part of the country though there were some clashes between supporters of TNA heavyweight M.A. Sumanthiran and Sashikala, wife of slain TNA lawmaker Nadarajah Raviraj.
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
