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TNA clarifies its position, demands ‘enhanced and meaningful devolution’

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MP Sumanthiran

The TNA, clarifying its position on a political solution to the ethnic issue, says it has been its position that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution should be fully implemented.

TNA spokesman Jaffna District, MP M. A. Sumanthiran has, in a media statement, said there has been absolutely no change in theposition of the Tamil National Alliance that the Provincial Council elections must be held without further delay and enhanced and meaningful devolution ensured.

Following is the TNA statement in full:

“This statement is being issued in order to clarify our position with regard to the political solution for the Tamil National Question, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the conduct of the long delayed Provincial Council Elections and the All-Party conferences convened by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The Tamil People have, since 1956, consistently given the Tamil political parties a mandate to work towards a political solution to the Tamil National Question by means of a federal arrangement in the North-East, which was recognized as the ‘historical habitation’ of the Tamil speaking people in the Indo-Lanka Accord that was signed on the 29th of July 1987, which provided for a measure of devolution to the provinces, including land and police powers.

The Government of India has actively engaged in this pursuit for the past 40 years after Sri Lanka accepted the good offices, offered by India, consequent to the 1983 July violence against the Tamils.

Most recently, too, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, India’s hope that the Government of Sri Lanka will fulfill the aspirations of the Tamils and drive the process of rebuilding for Equality, Justice and Peace. He also hoped that Sri Lanka will fulfill its commitment to implement the 13th Amendment and conduct the Provincial Council Elections; and will ensure a life of respect and dignity for the Tamil community of Sri Lanka.

Later, at the press briefing, the Foreign Secretary of India reiterated: “Nothing could be more explicit in terms of what discussions took place, what we put forward, the fact that India continues to look forward to a political solution that addresses the aspirations of the Tamil community, of course aspirations for equality, Justice and self-respect within the framework of united and prosperous Sri Lanka.

The Prime Minister also clearly said that… expressed our belief that a meaningful devolution of powers and the full implementation of the 13th Amendment are essential components of addressing and facilitating the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka. This has been our consistent position and this was put forward during the meeting between the two leaders.

Our position is that power sharing must be in a federal structure, consistent with the aspirations of the Tamil People expressed at every election since 1956. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution is part of the Constitution of Sri Lanka, and not a separate appendage. The President and all of us have taken an oath to uphold and defend it.

Thus the non-implementation of any part of the Constitution is a violation of the whole. To that extent, we insist on the full implementation of the devolution arrangement currently extant in our Constitution. That, however, will not meet with the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil People. That we need to make power sharing arrangement meaningful has been recognized both locally through various processes from Mangala Munasinghe Select Committee until the Constitutional Assembly 2016 – 2019, under then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and in at least three separate joint statements made with India, during President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s tenure.

Nine Provincial Councils that were functioning, albeit with deficiencies, have ceased to be due to a legal snag in the process of changing the electoral system. The select committee on electoral reform, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, in its Report submitted to this Parliament last year, has stated that the Provincial Council elections, which has been stalled for more than three years, negates the democratic right of the people, and has recommended to hold the election under the PR system that existed previously. It also recommended that suitable legislation be enacted to enable this. I have presented a private member’s Bill in line with these recommendations, the first reading of which is over. This Bill was challenged in the Supreme Court and the Court has ruled that it can be enacted by a simple majority if recommended changes are made to some clauses in the Bill.

The Tamil National Alliance unequivocally conveyed to the President at the very first All-Party Conference on 10th December 2022 that Provincial Council elections must be held without further delay. We also discussed measures necessary to make devolution meaningful. Several discussions were held with the President and at the second All-Party Conference on 26th January 2023 again we reiterated our position. It was the same position that was conveyed at the last All-Party Conference that was held on 26th July 2023. There was absolutely no change of positions by the Tamil National Alliance; nor is there any contradiction between calling for immediate Provincial Council elections and enhanced and meaningful devolution. In fact, one without the other is meaningless.”



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US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development

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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.”

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Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees

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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.

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CIPM successfully concludes 8th Annual Symposium

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Left to right, Prof. Arosha Adikaram - Chairperson of the Symposium, UAC Obeyesekere – Chief Executive Officer, CIPM Sri Lanka, Guest of Honor - Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer, MAS Holdings PVT Ltd., Sri Lanka, Ken Vijayakumar, President, CIPM Sri Lanka, Priyantha Ranasinghe,Vice President, CIPM Sri Lanka, Col. Saman Jayawickrama (Retd) – Secretary, CIPM Sri Lanka, Dr Dilanjalee Weerathunga – Co Chairperson of the Symposium

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.

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