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AKD: NPP confident of winning any election
By Saman Indrajith
JVP/NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday said that victory was assured for his party in any forthcoming election as they had won support, trust and confidence of more than 51 percent of the electors throughout the country.
Dissanayake addressed two May Day rallies of the JVP/NPP in Matara and Colombo. He said: “Our enemies mocked us saying that converting three percent of popularity into 51 percent would be a miracle. That miracle has been achieved. Mustering the trust of more than 51 percent of electors for the NPP no longer is a magic or miracle. It has become a ground reality.
“This is the last May Day we mark under these rulers who ruined this nation. The next May Day will be held under an NPP government. Victory is assured for our party. We must work harder for the next three months to realize our goal for our own government.”
“Today, we have hundreds of thousands of people attending our four May Day rallies in Jaffna, Anuradhapura, Matara and Colombo. We sought government permission to hold the May Day rally in Galle Face. They did not give us Galle Face thinking that our gathering would outscore them. At the end they gave us a road, the CWW Kannangara Mawatha – as the venue.
Thereafter we decided to hold the May Day rally in four places. In a way their depriving us of the Galle Face worked better for our members so that they could attend rallies in a nearby major city instead of coming to Colombo.
“More than 90 percent of them are those who had joined us recently from other parties. The rest are those who have been with us all throughout. There are some who have been attending all our May Day rallies since the JVP resumed marking the May Day in 1995 with public rallies. In NPP we would treat all of them equally.
In addition to those attending our rallies, a similar number or more than that are watching us online in this country or abroad. Not only our supporters but also our enemies are watching our rallies to find mistakes or fault with us.
We have a challenge before us to lead the popularity to the successful end of election victory. In that regard we must take extra precautions to avoid mistakes and not allow any room for negligence. All we need is to work harder than ever in the coming three months. We have the discipline required for the task. We are the only political party with discipline required to bring in changes necessary for the development and betterment of this country.
Ranil Wickremesinghe and his UNP does not have that discipline. His Tourism Minister Harin Fernando had promised 10 bottles of liquor for every bus transporting UNP supporters to today’s rally of theirs. Ranil could not even find Lankan artistes to sing at the UNP May Day rally today and had to import singers from India. It seems when it comes to the election he would have to bring voters, too, from India.
Sajith Premadasa and his SJB cannot ensure positive change. He has no other line these days than going around talking about a debate with us. Finally, we gave him four days prior to May 15 for the debate. He has responded that he is busy on all those four days. Thereafter we conveyed to his party that we are ready for the debate on any day by May 20. Any day of his preference we can participate in the debate. We will cure his problems for good in that debate to be held by May 20. Even if he does not come forward by May 20, we’ll make sure his brand of politics ends after that day,” Dissanayake 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
