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Opposition: Parliament prorogued to derail finance committee probes
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The recent prorogation of Parliament was intended to disrupt the workings of six parliamentary committees which dealt with public finance, Prof. G. L. Peiris alleged yesterday (05).
Addressing the media at his Kirula Road residence, the former External Affairs Minister said President Ranil Wickremesinghe prorogued Parliament with the sole intention of disrupting ongoing investigations handled by those six committees.
The dissolved mechanisms were the Public Finance Commission, the Public Accounts Committee, Committee on Public Enterprises, Economic Stabilization Committee, Ways and Means Committee and Banking Sector and Financial Management Committee. According to Prof. Peiris out of 91 committees, 64 have been dissolved.
Yesterday’s briefing was the second given by SLPP National List MP Prof. Peiris since he switched his allegiance to Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa late last year.
President Wickremesinghe and the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) owed an explanation regarding the sudden prorogation of Parliament, the internationally renowned law academic said. The lawmaker asserted that the disruption of important committees eased pressure on those under investigation.
The UNP leader has prorogued Parliament twice since being elected the President by Parliament in late July 2022. Wickremesinghe first prorogued Parliament at midnight on January 27, 2023, in terms of powers vested in him under Article 70(1) of the Constitution. Accordingly, the fourth session of the 9th Parliament commenced on Feb 08, 2023.
President Wickremesinghe brought the fourth session to an end with the prorogation announced on January 26, 2024 and the fifth session would begin tomorrow (07), Prof. Peiris said.
The first session of the 9th Parliament was held from August 20, 2020 to December 12, 2021, and the second session was held from January 18, 2022 to July 28, 2022. Accordingly, the third session of the 9th Parliament began on August 3, 2022, and by the time the session ended yesterday (27), the Parliament had met for 58 days.
Lawmaker Peiris questioned the rationale in dissolving key committees thereby forcing Parliament to reconstitute them ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for later this year, most probably during the Sept-Oct period.
The ex-Minister asserted that the President and the SLPP obviously didn’t want the committees to function in the run-up to the presidential poll as they would have dug up embarrassing material in relation to the incumbent government.
However, the recent arrest and remanding of Environment Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, over his alleged involvement with the procurement of fake human immunoglobulin during his tenure as the Health Minister, has exposed the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government, Prof. Peiris said.
The MP emphasized that 113 MPs who voted against a no-confidence motion in early September last year that targeted Keheliya Ranbukwella, too, should be held responsible. The Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government shielded the then Health Minister Rambukwella because it didn’t care about a spate of complaints regarding the deterioration of health services, Prof. Peiris said.
Prof. Peiris said that President Wickremesinghe and Premier Dinesh Gunawardena stood by Minister Rambukwella. The SLPP, too, should state its position regarding the Rambukwella affair.
Alleging that Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena served the interests of the President and the government, Prof. Peiris said that the SJB leader would spearhead efforts to move a no-faith motion against the Speaker. Prof. Peiris cited the endorsement of the certificate on the ‘Online Safety Bill’ by Speaker Abeywardena the primary reason for the no-faith motion.
Prof. Peiris said that regardless of him, along with parliamentarians M.A. Sumanthiran and Gevindu Cumaratunga, pointing out the illegality of the process adopted in the enactment of the new law, Speaker Abeywardena endorsed the certificate on the ‘Online Safety Bill.’
Parliament confirmed that the authorization of the ‘Online Safety Bill’ and the party leaders’ meeting, where the issue was raised by lawmakers, happened on February 1.
Prof. Peiris said that regardless of the Speaker’s authorization, the government couldn’t rectify the severe shortcomings in the new law as the ruling party failed to incorporate recommendations made by the Supreme Court in response to petitions filed against the ‘Online Safety Law.’
The Committee Stage, where the SC recommendations were to be inserted, was nothing but a farce, hence the decision to move a no-faith motion, Prof. Peiris alleged.
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
