News
Lt. Gen Dias will spearhead campaign against 13A
Vijitha Herath asks for PM’s stand
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Lt. General Jagath Dias has declared his intention to campaign against the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
Having agreed to give leadership to a newly formed movement against the division of the country, the former Gajaba Regiment officer has convened a meeting at Sri Sambuddhathwa Jayanthi Mandiraya on Thursday (10 August) at 3.30 pm, to announce their stand on the 13th Amendment and related developments, including how those who betray the war-winning military should be dealt with.
Ven. Medagama Dhammananda of the Asgiriya Chapter will chair the meeting. President’s Counsel Manohara de Silva will deliver the main speech. In addition to the top lawyer, Lt. Gen. Dias, Dr. Wasantha Bandara and convener of Jaffna civil society collective Arun Siddhartha will address the gathering. Among those scheduled to attend the event are Prof. Ven. Induragare Dharmaratne, Prof. Ven. Malwane Chandraratane and Prof. Ven. Iththademaliye Indrasara.
Maj. Gen. Dias was promoted to the rank of Lt. Gen following his retirement in Dec. 2015. The former General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 57 Division – one of the frontline fighting formations deployed on the Vanni front – served as the Chief of Staff at the time of his retirement.
Lt. Gen. Dias said that implementation of land and police powers, in line with the 13th Amendment, enacted in late 1988, would divide the country. That would make Sri Lanka’s triumph over separatist LTTE terrorism irrelevant, the war veteran said. Combined security forces brought the war to a successful conclusion in May 2009.
Dias and two other retired officers, Brigadier Athula Hemachandra de Silva and Lt. Col. Anil Sumeda Amarasekera recently petitioned the Court of Appeal against the government’s decision to release state land around the historical Kurundi temple in the Mullaitivu District, the one-time LTTE bastion.
The new public campaign gets underway in the wake of President Ranil Wickremesinghe requesting all political parties and groups, represented in Parliament, to submit their written proposals/recommendations pertaining to the 13th Amendment by or before 15 August. Parliament has altogether recognized 15 political parties. Nine of them, including the UNP, are represented by one MP each.
The President’s Office said on 04 August that Saman Ekanayake, the Secretary to the President, has written to them in terms of a consensus reached at the All- Party Conference (APC), chaired by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, at the Presidential Secretariat on 26th July.
The JVP-led Jathika Jana Balawegaya (JJB) skipped the meeting. JJB lawmaker Vijitha Herath told The Island that they declined the President’s invitation, to attend APC on 26 July as it was nothing but a farce. How could the President even contemplate a consensus on this contentious issue when his party was reduced to just one MP? the JVP spokesperson asked.
Alleging that the UNP leader, in his capacity as the Yahapalana Premier, deliberately bungled an opportunity to address the entire gamut of issues by introducing a new Constitution at a time he had 2/3 majority in Parliament, MP Herath challenged Wickremesinghe to secure the support of parliamentarians who elected him as the President in July last year to serve out the balance period of ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Wickremesinghe received 133 votes, primarily from the SLPP. The JVPer said that during the failed bid to reach consensus on a new Constitution, all political parties, except the UNP, submitted their proposals. Perhaps the UNP couldn’t remember how Wickremesinghe transformed the Parliament in to a Constituent Assembly to facilitate the process, the Gampaha District MP said, urging the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government to adopt a realistic strategy. Wickremesinghe’s whole intention was to convince India and other members of the international community of his readiness to resolve the national issue. “The President didn’t want to settle this issue. He just wanted to deceive those who are interested in settling the issues at hand.”
Responding to another query, lawmaker Herath said that President Wickremesinghe, soon after receiving the presidency, declared that the national issue would be settled by the last Independence Day. The JJB MP said the President, first of all, should consult his Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in this regard. Could the President be confident of MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena’s support for the full implementation of the 13th Amendment? The MEP parliamentary group consists of three MPs, including the PM.
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
