News
Opposition meets EC, demands early announcement of LG polls
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Nimal G. Punchihewa, Chairman of the Election Commission yesterday (16) said that in spite of functioning in sort of an interim/caretaker capacity consequent to the enactment of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, his commission could conduct the scheduled Local Government election on or before March 20, 2023.
Punchihewa said that since Sept. 20, this year, the Election Commission had received the constitutional right to call Local Government polls.
Attorney-at-law Punchihewa said so when The Island sought his response to the representations made by 16 political parties and groups on the previous day regarding the alleged attempts to postpone the scheduled elections. The Opposition group included SJB leader Sajith Premadasa as well as SLPP rebels, including Prof. G.L. Peiris, TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran and SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera.
The EC team consists of Punchihewa, M.M. Mohamed, S.B. Divaratne, K.P.P. Pathirana and P.S.M. Charles.
Following the enactment of the 21st Amendment, independent commissions, including the Election Commission would have to be reconstituted though until then the existing outfits would continue to function, Punchihewa said. The parliament is in the process of finalising the Constitutional Council.
Last Local Government elections were held in February 2018. Contesting its first election since formation in 2016, the SLPP comfortably won the lion’s share of 341 Local Government bodies.
In Dec 2021, the then Provincial Council and Local Government Minister Roshan Ranasinghe postponed Local Government elections by a year claiming the government feared the spread of Covid-19.
Responding to further questions, Punchihewa acknowledged that the Opposition couldn’t be faulted for having suspicions of possible attempts to postpone Local Government polls. However, the Election Commission was continuing preparations in that regard and didn’t foresee obstacles, he said.
Reiterating EC’s commitment to conduct the scheduled poll, Punchihewa said that announcement of poll day in early January would be sufficient to complete the preparations.
Punchihewa said that those who had been pushing for Local Government polls were concerned about the recent appointment of the new National Delimitation Committee to demarcate wards for local authorities and the call for the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee on electoral reforms.
The biggest envisaged reform is to drastically cut down the number of local government representatives by about 50 percent from the current burdensome 8,000 odd members to about 4,000.
The appointment of the committee was announced in an extraordinary gazette issued by Premier Dinesh Gunawardena, in his capacity as the Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government. The committee is effective from Nov 01, 2022 to Feb 28, 2023. Headed by Punchihewa’s predecessor, Mahinda Deshapriya, the committee includes Jayalath R.V. Dissanayake, Mrs. W.M.M.R. Adikari, K. Thavalingam and I. A. Hameed.
Punchihewa said that the government couldn’t absolve itself of the responsibility for ensuring sufficient funds to sustain their work.
Mahinda Deshapriya claimed that the work undertaken by his committee wouldn’t cause further delay in Local Government polls. The former EC Chief dismissed allegations that the appointment of National Delimitation Committee was a ruse to put off scheduled elections.
Deshapriya said that every effort would be made to complete the task assigned to them ahead of schedule.
Meanwhile, Executive Director, PAFFREL (People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections) Rohana Hettiarachchi told The Island that the government shouldn’t interfere with the scheduled Local Government polls.
Questioning the call for PSC on electoral reforms and fresh delimitation process months ahead of anticipated Local Government polls, Hettiarachchi warned the government over alleged moves to cause further delays. The civil society activist recalled the massive defeat suffered by yahapalana partners who put off Local Government polls. When they finally called elections, they were routed and never recovered from the defeat experienced at Feb 2018 Local Government polls, Hettiarachchi said, adding that PAFFREL recently brought their concerns to the notice of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.
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
