News
Prez to consolidate power
* Constitutional Council to be abolished
* No provision for civil society members
* Dual citizens can enter parliament
* A person aged 30 can run for President
* Restriction on number of Cabinet ministers, deputies removed
* Parliament can be dissolved within one year
* Romesh de Silva heads team tasked with preparing draft new Constitution
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Constitutional Council (CC) introduced in terms of the 19th Amendment in 2015 is to be abolished by the 20th Amendment (20A) gazetted yesterday (3).
In place of the 10- member CC, the 20A has proposed a Parliamentary Council comprising the Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Opposition Leader and nominees (one each) of the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader.
The 20th Amendment stipulates that the nominees of the Premier and the Opposition Leader belong to the communities other than the communities represented by the Prime Minister, the Speaker and the Opposition Leader.
In terms of the 19th Amendment, the CC headed by the Speaker, included three civil society representatives as well as a representative of the President. The 20A has done away with both civil society representatives and the presidential nominee.
Cabinet spokesman Mass Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and co-cabinet spokespersons, Ministers, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana and Udaya Gammanpila refrained from commenting on the provisions of the 20A in spite of the media repeatedly seeking their comments.
The Attorney General on Sept 2, ruled that the 20A could be enacted by a two-thirds vote sans a referendum. SLPP National List member Justice Minister Ali Sabry, PC, worked out the 20th Amendment.
In line with 20A, the President will have the authority to make appointments to the Election Commission, the Public Service Commission, the National Police Commission, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, the Finance Commission and the Delimitation Commission (all in Schedule I) having obtained observations of the Parliamentary Council.
The President will seek the observations of the Parliamentary Council in appointing the Chief Justice and judges of the Supreme Court, the President and the judges of the Court of Appeal and the members of the Judicial Service Commission other than the Chairman (all under Schedule II/Part I) and the Attorney General, the Auditor General, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman) and the Secretary General (Schedule II/Part II).
In terms of the 20th Amendment, the immunity of the President, both in official and private capacity has been restored.
The SLPP, both at the presidential and parliamentary elections held in Nov 2019, and Aug 2020, respectively, campaigned for a two-thirds majority to do away with the 19th Amendment. The SLFP obtained 145 seats and with the support of its allies can muster the required two thirds.
There is provision in the 20th Amendment for the President to remove the nominees of the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader in the Parliamentary Council.
The Parliamentary Council has to submit its observations as regards the President’s nominees to the above mentioned offices within one week. In case, the Parliamentary Council fails to respond within a week after the President sought its observations, there is provision for the President to go ahead with the appointments.
There is provision for leaders of recognised political parties to propose suitable persons to the Commissions categorized under Scheduled I for the President’s consideration.
The 20th Amendment also seeks to do away with the restriction on the number of ministers to 30 and non-cabinet ministers to 40 introduced by the 19th Amendment. The President will be head of the cabinet.
The 20th A seeks to provide space for the President, in consultation with the President, if necessary, to determine the number of ministers and also appoint ministers who are not members of the cabinet of ministers. There is also provision for the appointment of Deputy Ministers, from time to time, in consultation with the Prime Minister, if necessary, to assist members of the cabinet.
In terms of the 20th Amendment, the President can remove Prime Minister, a member of the cabinet, any other minister or a Deputy Minister.
The President has retained the constitutional authority to dissolve parliament after completion of sittings for a period of one year. The 19th Amendment, deprived the President the power to dissolve parliament until the House completed four and half years of five-year term.
The 20th Amendment has retained the five-year term for the President and two term restriction.
The 20th Amendment provides for the introduction of emergency Bills.
The age of presidential contestants has been reduced to 30 from 35. The 20th Amendment also paved the way for dual citizens to contest parliamentary election.
Addressing the media at the Information Department, cabinet spokesperson said that a nine member expert committee headed by Romesh De Silva, PC had been asked to prepare a new draft Constitution. The media was told that the 20th Amendment was temporary measure until consensus could be reached on a brand new Constitution. The team comprises Gamini Marapana, PC, Manohara de Silva, PC, Sanjiva Jayawardena, PC, Samantha Ratwatte, PC, Professor Nasima Kamurdeen, Dr. A Sarweswaran, Professor Wasantha Seneviratne and Professor G. H. Peiris.
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
