News
Prez, SLPP urged not to use ex-CJ’s committee to put off next presidential election
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Top Opposition spokesman Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday (11) alleged that the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government was still contemplating how to put off the presidential election, scheduled to be conducted between 17 Sept., and 17 Oct., this year.
Declaring that in terms of the Constitution, the presidential election couldn’t be postponed under any circumstances, the former External Affairs Minister said, at the regular media briefing, at his Kirula Place residence, that the examination of all existing election laws and regulations by a 10-member committee, headed by retired Chief Justice Priyasath Dep, PC, shouldn’t be cited as the reason for the postponement.
Prof. Peiris was referring to the Dep Commission appointed in the first week of Nov, 2023, to make necessary recommendations for the amendment of election laws by early May this year.
The dissident SLPP lawmaker, who recently switched his allegiance to the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), said that the implementation of Dep Commission’s recommendations could take place under a new government.
Referring to the failure on the part of President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the ruling SLPP to reach a consensus on the presidential poll strategy, Prof. Peiris alleged that a deliberate attempt was being made to confuse the electorate with regard to the national election expected to be conducted first.
Prof. Peiris said that President Wickremesinghe could dissolve Parliament any time now in terms of the Constitution.
“Dissolution is permitted once the Parliament has completed two and half years of its five-year term. However, the general election cannot be called in such a way to hinder the Election Commission making an all-important announcement pertaining to presidential polls. With regard to the presidential poll that has to be conducted between Sept 17 and Oct 17 in terms of the existing constitutional provisions, the Election Commission will have to make the relevant declaration on July 15, this year,” Prof. Peiris said.
Both presidential and parliamentary terms are restricted to five years since 2015 though before the enactment of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, both had six year terms. SJB leader Sajith Premadasa has already declared his candidature at the presidential poll.
Commenting on Cabinet spokesperson Bandula Gunawardena’s recent statement that funds allocated for the conduct of elections this year had to be spent carefully, Prof. Peiris stressed that President Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister in November last year, announced the allocation of Rs. 10 bn for the presidential poll. Therefore, the government couldn’t allocate that funding or part of it for the conduct of the general election, thereby cause a fresh issue by claiming insufficient money to hold both elections, Prof. Peiris.
Referring to the relevant section of the Constitution in case the government advanced the general election believing that it was advantageous for them, Prof. Peiris said that it would have to obtain the required funding from the Consolidated Fund.
At the onset of the briefing, Prof. Peiris said that democracy suffered a deadly blow early last year when President Wickremesinghe teamed up with the SLPP to make the Local Government polls disappear. There had never been a previous instance of any government indefinitely putting off an election, claiming that it hadn’t the wherewithal to do so, Prof. Peiris said, recalling how Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana, in an affidavit to the Supreme Court declared that the country was in such a precarious situation, financially, he found it extremely difficult to allocate money for the conducting of the said election.
Prof. Peiris warned that the government, deeply concerned over deterioration of its standing among the people, was exploring ways and means of postponing elections. The former minister asserted that the government examined how it could achieve its despicable objective by advancing general elections, thereby jeopardizing scheduled presidential polls and by using Dep Commission recommendations.
Responding to media queries on President Wickremesinghe’s attacking speech at Kuliyapitiya on Sunday (10), Prof. Peiris said that the UNP leader seemed to be seriously concerned about the SJB campaign.
Had he not been concerned there was no need for him to take such an aggressive stand, Prof. Peiris said, comparing Ranil Wickremesinghe who as a student learnt law from him and an aggressive President.
The UNP officially announced Wickremesinghe’s presidential candidate at the Kuliyapitiya meeting. The only UNP lawmaker in Parliament Wajira Abeywardena declared that Wickremesinghe would poll as much as 10 mn votes at the forthcoming presidential poll.
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
