News
Delay in expanding Cabinet peeves SLPP
‘Prez yet to respond positively to ruling party’s request made last July’
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is in a dilemma over the inordinate delay in finalising the new appointments to the Cabinet-of-Ministers, party sources say.The SLPP and President Ranil Wickremesinghe haven’t been able to reach a consensus on the list of SLPP nominees for Cabinet portfolios submitted in July last year.
Responding to The Island queries, sources said that of nine or 10 SLPP nominees, so far only Pavitra Wanniarachchi had been accommodated in the Cabinet-of-Ministers. Mrs Wanniarachchi received the Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation portfolio, on January 19, 2023.
Sources said that there had been only one written request in this regard submitted to President Wickremesinghe, within a week after the SLPP elected the UNP leader as the President on July 20, 2022, to complete the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s term. On behalf of the SLPP, General Secretary of the Party, Sagara Kariyawasam, MP, made the written request, though it was yet to be fulfilled, sources said.
In terms of the Constitution, the Cabinet-of-Ministers should consist of 30 and the non-Cabinet 40.The SLPP expected President Wickremesinghe to finalise the appointments as his repeated attempts to win over a section of the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) hadn’t been successful, sources said. If a consensus could be reached on a National Government, constitutional restrictions on the number of ministers and non-cabinet ministers could be ignored, sources said.
The much hyped National Government, propagated by the UNP, hadn’t been successful, they said, pointing out the SLPP’s legitimate request for sufficient representation in the Cabinet-of-Ministers was yet to be met. Sources explained that those who had been nominated, but were yet to receive ministerial portfolios, were humiliated by the excessive delay.
The Presidential Election is scheduled for next year. Top SJB spokesperson Mujibur Rahuman said that President Wickremesinghe was in a bind. Having failed to engineer crossovers in sufficient numbers, the President was under pressure to accommodate SLPP nominees.
Rahuman, who quit his parliamentary seat to contest the now indefinitely postponed Local Government polls, as the SJB’s Colombo mayoral candidate, said that a futile bid was made ahead of the recent vote on the IMF facility to engineer crossovers. The government could secure only 120 votes, 12 less than the number received by Wickremesinghe when he was elected the President, the former lawmaker pointed out.
Sources said that an attempt made by Mano Ganeshan and Rauff Hakeem, elected on the SJB ticket, at the last General Election, to work out an understanding between President Wickremesinghe and SJB, too, failed. The SJB was not interested in a political deal with President Wickremesinghe, under any circumstances, sources said.
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
