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Kiriella: What is the point in govt issuing gazettes to control price of rice when they are ignored?
By Saman Indrajith
Chief Opposition Whip Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament yesterday that the government had published more gazettes than the number of cassettes released by popular singer HR Jothipala.
Opening the third reading debate on the budget 2021 form the opposition, MP Kiriella said: “Although the government printed gazettes on price control, there is no price control in the market. During the time of our government we had a rice company, called Ape Shakthi, to control the rice market. This government dissolved it after coming to power. Now, the rice mafia of Polonnaruwa determines rice prices arbitrarily.”
MP Kiriella said that the government was undoing democracy by implementing the provisions of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. “Today, the separation of powers is not to be seen especially with regard to the list of institutions whose budgetary allocations are being debated today. The Supreme Court, the Appeal Court, the Human Rights Commission, the Police Commission, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption and the Finance Commission were independent under the 19th Amendment. The Constitutional Council had the power to reject even a nomination by the President. Its successor the Parliament Council does not have that power. It has just to endorse the nominations made by the President. The President can make appointments to 75 top posts in key institutions. Even in the US, the Senate has the power to reject persons nominated by the President. Those nominated to top posts have to come before the Senate and respond to thousands of questions and those sessions are aired live on TV. Imagine what will happen under the present system here now. Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake gave a ruling on Divi Neguma Bill against the government wish, she was summoned to parliament and removed.
Chief Government Whip Highways Minister Johnston Fernando: We do not see anything wrong in that process. We stand by what we did because whatever we did we did so in accordance with the constitutional provisions. We followed the process outlined in the Constitution to remove her. But what you did when your government removed Shirani Bandaranayake’s successor Mohan Peiris. Soon after you formed the government Azath Sally went to his house and told him to resign within one hour and threatened to throw him out otherwise. That was the procedure you followed.
MP Kiriella: I am not aware of such a thing. There are many instances that could be taken from the Indian Supreme Court rulings. Now, laws could be passed to change the status quo of separation of powers. Today, there is no separation of powers here.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has stated that military men are not suitable to rule a country. It is there on the web. You can show a mountain to the military and order them to capture it. They would duly follow the order and capture it but they cannot rule. Because they do not know how to maintain a dialogue and discussion aimed at reaching an agreement. Unfortunately, today there is no dialogue. We are sliding towards the abyss of authoritarianism.
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
