News
Prez addresses SLPPer’s concerns over new Uni and permanent land deeds to farmers
By Shamindra Ferdinando
SLPP MP Sarath Weerasekera yesterday (22) said that he voted for the 2024 Budget after having received an assurance from President Ranil Wickremesinghe that his concerns over the proposed move to allow Provincial Councils to establish Universities on their own and the issuance of permanent deeds to farmers would be addressed.
The former Public Security Minister said so when The Island asked him what made him vote for the Budget after having had expressed serious concerns over the above mentioned issues. During the Budget debate, the former Navy Chief of Staff strongly protested against both proposals.
The Colombo District MP Weerasekera was among 122 lawmakers who voted for the second Budget presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister. In Sept. 2022, the UNP leader presented an interim budget for 2023. Seventy-seven voted against whereas 26 abstained.
Lawmaker Weerasekera said that President Wickremesinghe gave him an opportunity to meet him at the Presidential Secretariat immediately after he informed Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga on Tuesday morning (21) that he was contemplating skipping the vote. The move was meant to underscore his opposition to dangerous projects, the MP said.
Responding to another query, MP Weerasekera said that he reminded President Wickremesinghe the crisis caused by the enactment of the 21st Amendment. The former Minister said that he voted against the 21st Amendment, enacted on Oct 21, 2022, primarily because it denied the Head of State the opportunity to appoint the Inspector General of Police and judges to the Supreme Court without being subject to the approval of the Constitutional Council.
Of the 225-member parliament, 179 voted for the 21st Amendment, one voted against whereas 45 abstained.
Very much appreciating the opportunity to make representations to the President, MP Weerasekera said that Provincial Councils shouldn’t be allowed to set up Universities without recommendation/approval from the University Grants Commission (UGC). Even in terms of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution enacted at the behest of India, the degree awarding institutions are in the Concurrent List and not in the Provincial Council List, the ex-Minister said.
The former Law and Order Minister has warned that if the Provincial Councils were granted the authority, they could even set up Sharia and Wahhabi universities.
MP Weerasekera said that he received an assurance from the President that opening of Universities by Provincial Councils would be only on the basis of the UGC.
The MP said that the land issue should be addressed carefully. Weerasekera told The Island that even parliamentarians haven’t really understood the implications. The former Minister said that he urged the President to keep land powers with the State. “Issuing permanent deeds can cause quite a crisis. If the government issued permanent deeds, debt ridden farmers will be able to sell their land and multinational companies will exploit the situation.”
The MP quoted the President as having said that foreigners wouldn’t be allowed to buy land and only a person in the same village could buy the available land to cultivate the same crop. The President has said that he was ready to discuss the issues at hand.
Asked whether he received instructions from the SLPP regarding the vote on the Second Reading, MP Weerasekera said that the party never took a decision on this matter. “In fact, I asked the higher-ups to give MPs an opportunity to discuss the issues at hand before taking a stand but they didn’t bother to call a meeting. Therefore, I had to inform the Premier and the Chief Government Whip of his decision to abstain.”
Except for a few, the majority of SLPP parliamentary groups voted for the Budget on their own, MP Weerasekera said. That shouldn’t have happened under any circumstances, the ex-Minister added, urging the party leadership to give MPs an opportunity to discuss the entire gamut of issues before the vote on the Third Reading of the Budget on Dec 13 at 6 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
