News
Catholic Church denies backing extension for AG Rajaratnam
… condemns govt. move, finds fault with Office of AG for failing to ensure justice for Easter Sunday victims
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference has categorically denied reports in section of the media that the Catholic Church backed the granting of an extension in service to Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam, PC.
President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Rt. Rev. Dr. Harold Anthony Perera, who is also the Bishop of Kurunegala, and its Secretary General Rt. Rev. Dr. J.D. Anthony, declared that there hadn’t been any dialogue between the Church and the AG regarding the Easter Sunday Presidential Commission Inquiry report.
The following is the full text of the statement issued by the Church: Our attention is drawn to the news articles published, in some of the newspapers and other social and electronic media in the first week of June 2024, with regards to a purported statement issued by His Excellency the President concerning an extension granted to the term of the current Attorney General of Sri Lanka.
The said articles refers to the unfounded occurrence of an incident whereupon that the Chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka (CBCSL) had met with His Excellency the President and that at such stage, His Excellency the President had appointed a three-member committee comprising the Secretary to His Excellency the President Mr. Saman Ekanayake, Mr. Sagala Rathnayake and the Hon Attorney General Mr. Sanjay Rajaratnam in order to discuss the Presidential Commission of Inquiry Report into the Easter Sunday attacks.
The said article further astonishingly states that, the Hon. Attorney General Mr. Sanjay Rajaratnam is currently performing a fundamental role in his capacity as a member in the aforementioned committee appointed by His Excellency the President in order to coordinate with the CBCSL pertaining to the future steps to be taken concerning the investigations involving the Easter Sunday attacks. It also claims that the said Mr. Sanjay Rajaratnam has been in constant dialogue with the CBCSL which is totally false.
At the very outset itself, we, the members of the CBCSL, vehemently deny the above-mentioned misleading position set out in the given article. We seek to clarify in response that there has never been any such dialogue whatsoever which took place between the Chairman of the CBCSL and The Hon. Attorney General at any point of time.
Moreover, the said article highlights the fact that the Hon. Attorney General is being granted an extension of his term in office, as he is due to retire shortly. We are astounded at the fact that the said article implies that the His Excellency the President is at this stage unreasonably making use of the Easter Sunday Attacks and exploiting even the CBCSL purely to seek such an extension of the Attorney General’s term. We wish to add with grave concern that the said Mr.
Sanjay Rajaratnam was in fact appointed as the Hon. Attorney General of the island on the 26th May 2021, and that for the last 36 months he has failed to even implement the series of recommendations clearly set out in the Easter Sunday Attacks Presidential Commission of Inquiry Final Report, up to date. Furthermore, we state very firmly that during the tenure of the office of the said Hon. Attorney General, the Catholic Church has at numerous instances consistently addressed in writing and called for the said Hon. Attorney General to intervene and bring forth justice to the victims of the heinous Easter Sunday attacks, which have been continuously disregarded and not been acted upon by the said Mr. Sanjay Rajaratnam.
We state categorically that the CBCSL has absolutely nothing to do with the extension of the period of Office of the Honorable Attorney General. His Excellency the President’s intention as reported to seek an extension by making use of the Easter Sunday attacks and the CBCSL is wholeheartedly condemned.
We are also deeply concerned with the statement attributed to the President, reported in the final paragraph of the said article which states that if anyone wishes to question the extension of the period of office of the Hon. Attorney General, they should direct their questions to the CBCSL.
Therefore, this insinuation that the CBCSL is responsible for the extension of the office of the Hon. Attorney General is false, misleading and malicious.In these circumstances, we the members of the CBCSL completely disassociate ourselves from these mischievous attempts to discredit the CBCSL in the guise of the Attorney General’s extension of his term of office.”
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.
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