News
Speaker won’t summon Finance Secy; govt. MPs say time not right for polls
Wimal: Rs 1.1 bn sufficient
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has declared that he didn’t have the authority to summon Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana over accusation that the official denied funds required by the Election Commission (EC) to conduct the Local Government polls.
Speaker Abeywardena has said that he cannot summon Parliament over the issue. Political sources said that Speaker Abeywardena had indicated he had no intention of taking up the issue at hand when a group of government ministers and MPs met him at the Parliament yesterday (01).
Among those present at the government party leaders’ meet were Premier Dinesh Gunawardena and Namal Rajapaksa. The UNP was represented by Wajira Abeywardena.
Office of the Chief Government Whip of Parliament Prasanna Ranatunga, in a statement issued yesterday afternoon, quoted government members as having said that they expected Speaker Abeywardena to follow the Constitution and Standing Orders of the Parliament in this regard.
Prime Minister Gunawardena emphasised the responsibility on their part to address this issue in line with the Constitution and Standing Orders of the Parliament.
Top Opposition spokesman and former External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said that if the government followed the Constitution and Standing Orders the delayed Local Government polls could have been conducted on March 09, as originally announced by the EC. Prof. Peiris said that the government group was making a desperate bid to deceive the public, in the wake of growing protests over the disruption of scheduled polls.
Prof. Peiris pointed out that the US has urged the government to conduct Local Government polls.
Meanwhile, National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa yesterday said that the Opposition received an assurance from the EC that the election could be conducted, at a much lower cost. Referring to a meeting a delegation from the Nidahas Janatha Sandhanaya, led by Thilanga Sumathipala, had with the EC, on Tuesday (Feb. 28), MP Weerawansa, who is also the Chairman of Uththara Lanka Sabhagaya, urged the government to release funds, required by the EC, without further delay.
Addressing the media, at their Darley Road office, lawmaker Weerawansa said that the EC assured that they could manage with Rs 1.1 bn.
MP Weerawansa urged the government to facilitate an early peaceful settlement of this issue. The former JVPer flayed President Ranil Wickremesinghe for trying to justify the postponement of Local Government polls, based on false claims.
JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told The Island that the government couldn’t indefinitely postpone elections. The Colombo District MP said that the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government was in a bind. The leadership realized that the crisis the government was in and further rapid erosion of public support, as indicated by growing protests.
MP Dissanayake said that he was quite surprised, and disappointed, by some sections of the civil society, at a time the government was all out to suppress democratic freedoms. Lawmaker Dissanayake said that the public would like to know the reaction of former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, who recently received State honours, to the current situation.
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
