News
Parliament’s failure to address crucial issue exposed
Parliamentary Election Act silent on NL appointments
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Election Commission (EC) Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya yesterday (15) said that there was no deadline for a political party to fill its National List slots.
Deshapriya said that nothing could be done even if a particular political party refrained from filling its NL slots. Deshapriya said so when The Island inquired about two NL slots that remained vacant over two months after the last general election held on Aug 5.
A slot each has been allocated to the UNP and Our Power of People Party (OPPP). Responding to another query, Deshapriya pointed out that if a consensus couldn’t be reached as regards the filling of NL slots, the EC was helpless even if they remained vacant during the entire parliamentary term.
The EC consists of Deshapriya, Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole and Nalin Abeysekera, PC.
Acknowledging that the Parliamentary Elections Act did not stipulate a time period for filling NL slots, Deshapriya regretted the situation. The 225-member parliament consists of 196 elected and 29 NL members.
Deshapriya said that though both the UNP and the OPPP members hadn’t been appointed yet, the circumstances regarding the failure on their part to fill the vacancies were quite different. The UNP hadn’t informed the EC yet of its choice whereas fighting among OPPP factions had ended up in court.
“In addition to the General Secretary of the party, a former General Secretary has submitted Chairman of the Party Saman Perera as their nominee. Now that matter is before court,” Deshapriya said.
OPPP sources told The Island that Ven Vediniyagama Wimalatissa thera, who had functioned as the Secretary of the party soon after the releasing of election results nominated himself as the OPPP NL member. Consequent to that move, a former Secretary of the party had nominated Chairman of the Party Saman Perera, who assured that he would take oaths and then quit the seat to pave the way for Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara to succeed him.
Fighting OPPP factions moved court in the wake of Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC, advising the EC to accept the nomination made by the person who it considered the legitimate Secretary of the party.
UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam yesterday told The Island that the party hadn’t decided on its nominee yet. Former minister and unsuccessful candidate at the last general election declined to comment whether the party would pick someone from its National List handed over to the EC along with party nomination lists or a defeated candidate.
The SLPP (17), SJB (7) and UNP, SLPP, OPPP, JJB, TNA and AITC shared one NL slot each.
Kariyawasam didn’t indicate whether the UNP would name its choice before the debate and the vote on the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution. The SLPP has repeatedly declared that it intended to secure parliamentary approval for the new piece of legislation before the presentation of 2021 budget next month.
Asked whether there had been previous instances of political parties delaying naming NL appointees, Deshapriya said that Colvin R. de Silva died a few days before taking his oath as a member of the newly formed United Socialist Alliance (USA) following 1989 general election. The party refrained from naming anyone until the handing over of the impeachment motion against the then President Ranasinghe Premadasa, Deshapriya said, adding that Raja Collure received the USA NL slot.
Deshapriya said that there had been problems in 1989 after LTTE ally EROS (Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students) secured 13 seats, including one NL slot. They refrained from taking oaths and appointing an NL member, Deshapriya said.
Both Deshapriya and Kariyawasam said that though those appointed and nominated had to take oaths within three months there was no time frame in respect of nominating NL members.
Convenor of March 12 Movement and executive director of PAFFREL Rohana Hettiarachchi told The Island that the parliament should take tangible measures to amend/introduce laws to ensure that political parties did not pursue strategies inimical to the parliamentary system.
Hettiarachchi said that the parliament couldn’t absolve itself of the responsibility for the pathetic situation. He pointed out that in spite of the 1989 trouble over the USA not filling the NL slot, successive parliaments hadn’t addressed the issue.
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
