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Sri Lanka no longer a functioning state – Karu
Sri Lanka is no longer a functioning state because of the shortcomings in the administration and the continuous changes in policy decisions, former Speaker and the President of the National Movement for a Just Society, Karu Jayasuriya said yesterday addressing a press conference.
Jayasuriya said that the only thing that the country had got right in the last year was the vaccination drive that has put Sri Lanka in a better position than other countries in Asia to tackle COVID-19.
“We are pleased that the President has taken immediate steps to look into the accidents related to LP gas by appointing an expert committee. This is a timely intervention. If the advice of intellectuals were similarly sought to resolve other issues faced by the country, the problems that have cropped up in the agriculture and other sectors would have not arisen,” he said.
Jayasuriya said that experts in the agriculture sector are of the opinion that there will be a large-scale (about 30%) drop in production as many farmers have given up farming due to lack of fertilizer. However, importation of rice is not a solution to this problem, he said.
“Can a country not able to import medicines, milk powder, sugar and other essentials due to the lack of foreign exchange, afford to waste foreign reserves on the importation of rice? In addition, about 1000 containers of food items at the port are stuck due to lack of dollars. We must make our management systems stronger to face the looming forex crisis,” he said.
The people are facing severe food shortages and the cost of living has skyrocketed. There are a large number of people in the country who cannot afford to have three meals a day, he said.
The former Speaker insisted that had the President taken necessary advice from intellectuals before introducing the fertilizer ban, the chaos the country is currently facing today would not have arisen. The government needs to understand that listening to experts is a very important factor in governance. The farming families today are in a very helpless state and that they are deeply frustrated and angry at the current regime, he said.
“It is with regret that one must point out that our country was not invited to the Summit for Democracy to be held in the United States. This can be considered as a great dishonour to Sri Lanka. As we have repeated many times before, it is an honour for our country to be recognised in the democratic world. This is an essential element in attracting investors and boosting trade. However, it will be difficult to earn that recognition and respect once again until the democratic mechanism functions in a proper manner,” he said.
Jayasuriya added that one of the reasons why the country was not invited to the summit is that at present the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka is not functioning as new members had not been appointed. In the recent past, the Human Rights Commission in our country has been highly recognized internationally.
“In the past the members were independent from political parties. At that time they were selected by the members of the Constitutional Council. Therefore, we should not be surprised that Sri Lanka was not invited to the Democratic Summit. We request that these errors be rectified without delay. Meanwhile the killing of prisoners in Police custody has also brought our country into disrepute. Therefore it must be noted with great regret that the ‘One country, One Law’ policy has still not been implemented in Sri Lanka. In a country where this concept is correctly implemented, veteran artists like Ranjan Ramanayake would not be in prison. We hope the above matters will be brought to the notice of the relevant authorities,” he said.
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
