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Covid robs the country of outspoken politician, Mangala Samaraweera
Former lawmaker and outspoken politician Mangala Pinsiri Samaraweera yesterday (24) died of Covid-19. Samaraweera was 65 at the time of his death.
Mangala entered Parliament for the first time in 1989 from the SLFP. He served as a Cabinet minister under several governments.
Nominated by the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) to contest the last general election from the Matara District, Samaraweera quit it at the last moment. He addressed his last media briefing on 25 July at ‘Freedom House’ at T.B. Jayah Mawatha as the leader of an organisation called ‘True Patriots.’
Samaraweera fell sick soon thereafter and initially they didn’t suspect it was Covid-19. Asked whether Samaraweera had received the Covid-19 vaccine, sources said the former minister did.
Samaraweera was the son of Mahanama Samaraweera, Cabinet minister of Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s government, and Khema Samaraweera.
Mangala may have had his shortcomings like any human being, but whatever he did was done with plenty of panache and commitment. In certain ways he was ahead of his times and very innovative. He took up challenges in his stride.
Samaraweera led ‘Mothers’ Front’ with the then Hambantota District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa, against the deaths squads during the second JVP uprising.
Samaraweera returned to parliament at the next general election in 1994 and was accommodated in the then President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s Cabinet as the Post and Telecommunications Minister. Samaraweera also served as the Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Public Utilities in the same Cabinet following a cabinet reshuffle and was later given the Deputy Minister of Finance portfolio.
Subsequent to the SLFP’s defeat at the general election in 2001, Samaraweera was made the Chief Opposition Whip and the Treasurer of the party. Following their return to power at the 2004 general election, Samaraweera received Ports, Aviation and Media portfolios in the new cabinet of President Kumaratunga.
In the run-up to the 2005 presidential election, he gave up media portfolio while retaining Ports and Aviation portfolios. Samaraweera played a significant role in Mahinda Rajapaksa’s campaign and was rewarded with an additional foreign affairs portfolio. However, following a dispute with the Rajapaksas, Samaraweera was replaced in January 2007 as foreign minister and UNPer Rohitha Bogollagama given that vital portfolio during the Eelam War IV.
President Rajapaksa retained Samaraweera as the Ports and Aviation minister. But, Samaraweewa along with Anura Bandaranaike and Sripathy Sooriyaarachchi were sacked from the party on February 9, 2007. Samaraweera formed a new political party, the SLFP (Mahajana) wing but gave it up to join the UNP.
Later, Samaraweera joined the UNP and played a crucial role as an Opposition member and following the 2015 general election received the appointment as the foreign minister. Samaraweera along with the then PM Ranil Wickremesinghe paved the way for the signing of Geneva Resolution in early Oct 2015. Two years later, President Maithripala Sirisena in agreement with Wickremesinghe switched portfolios held by Samaraweera and finance minister Ravi Karunanayaka.
Following Sajith Premadasa’s defeat at the 2019 presidential election, Samaraweera pledged his support to the rebel group who took over the registered political party and re-registered it as the SJB.
Samaraweera strongly pushed for media freedom and was instrumental in allowing television stations to carry local news bulletins in 1994. (SF)
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
