News
Ketagoda who resigned for BR to re-enter House as Cabraal’s successor
Resigned in July… back in Sept
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Former actor Jayantha Katagoda will be the first lawmaker to re-enter the same Parliament on the National List after having quit the same.
The ruling SLPP has decided to re-appoint Ketagoda to Parliament on its NL to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Ajith Nivard Cabraal. Sources say it’ll be the first such re-entry since the creation of the National List in 1989.
Ketagoda quit his seat in early July to pave the way for Basil Rajapaksa’s entry into Parliament. Sources say Ketagoda’s re-appointment received the immediate blessings of SLPP founder Basil Rajapaksa.
Of the total of 29 NL slots, the SLPP secured 17 and the remaining slots were shared among several political parties. The main Opposition SJB obtained 7.
Political sources say that of the 17 NL slots won by the SLPP, civil society grouping Viyathmaga received two. Cabraal who served as the Governor of the Central Bank (2006-2014) filled one slot whereas Dr. Seetha Arambepola secured the other, sources say.
Altogether Viyathmaga group in parliament comprises nine members – two NL slots and seven elected members.
They say Basil Rajapaksa, too, entered Parliament under controversial circumstances as he hadn’t been on the SLPP NL submitted to the Election Commission (EC) in the run-up to the last parliamentary election in August 2000. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC (2004), Dullas Alahapperuma (2005), Basil Rajapaksa (2007) and Saman Ratnapriya (2020) entered Parliament in spite of them not being nominees in the original NL or failed candidates at the relevant general election, sources say.
One-time UNPer Jayantha Ketagoda first entered Parliament in 2010 to fill the vacancy created by the then Democratic Party Leader Sarath Fonseka’s dismissal on a ruling given by a Military Tribunal.
Ketagoda received the parliamentary seat after the JVP’s Lakshman Nipunaarachchi turned down the opportunity.
Sources say it is not clear who’ll receive portfolios –State Minister of Finance, Capital Markets, State Enterprise and Reforms held by Cabraal.
Meanwhile, the former Governor of Uva, Central and Southern Provinces during Maithripala Sirisena’s presidency, Keerthi Tennakoon questioned Cabraal’s re-appointment on the basis him being named in the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) report that dealt with the issuance of Treasury bonds.
Civil society activist Tennakoon said that the SLPP parliamentary group should make its position clear whether the appointment of a person who functioned as the State Finance Minister to the post of Central Bank Governor, was acceptable to the party. Tennakoon compared the latest appointment with that of Arjuna Mahendran’s appointment as CB Governor, a Singaporean national in 2015 in spite of strong objections by the then Joint Opposition.
Tennakoon rather frivolously asked how Cabraal could take over the CBSL Governorship immediately after giving up his parliamentary seat.
The former Executive Director of polls monitoring NGO outfit CaFFE said that the SLPP obviously had failed to learn from what he called yahapalana leaders’ strategic mistakes. The national economy was in such bad shape the government should quickly work towards ending continuing any uncertainty, Tennakoon said.
Responding to questions regarding the deepening financial turmoil, Tennakoon said that the government couldn’t afford to delay taking tangible measures to stop the rot.
He emphasised that the crisis today was certainly not political. “The SLPP should know that its near two-thirds majority is irrelevant and doesn’t in any way help address the deteriorating national economy,” Tennakoon said, adding that making big plans for the 2022 budget was nothing but a joke.
Tennakoon asked whether Cabraal received CBSL because he represented Viyathmaga that campaigned for Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the 2019 presidential poll. Tennakoon alleged that the SLPP had lost direction and was simply struggling to cope up with the extremely difficult situation caused by the raging Covid-19 epidemic.
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
