News
APC gets underway: Prez says won’t seek political advantage; Basil undertakes to present new budget
By Anura Balasuriya and Erik Gamini Jinapriya
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has assured political parties that his government will not seek any political advantage by calling an All-Party Conference (APC) to address the current economic crisis.
Appreciating the presence of the representatives of the political parties present, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday (23) said that those who boycotted the APC would be invited to join the APC process. The President said that their intentions were genuine.
President Rajapaksa chaired the APC held at the President’s House, Colombo. In his brief address, at the commencement of the meeting, the President said that a Prez…
committee comprising members of political parties, could be established to implement useful proposals, after formulating a mechanism to examine all proposals received by the APC. Declaring that he had no intention of making accusations against anyone, the President said he wanted to ascertain the view of other political parties.
President Rajapaksa called the APC following a request made by SLFP leader Maithripala Sirisena, MP, during the SLPP-SLFP talks also held at the Presidential Secretariat, on 08 March.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all political parties to work together, President Rajapaksa said that both short-and long-term strategies had to be pursued to overcome the crisis.
Among the political parties present were the UNP, the TNA and the MEP. The SJB and the JVP boycotted the APC. Ven. Atureliye Rathana and Prof. Tissa Vithana represented the 11-party SLPP dissident group. Altogether, 17 political parties, and groups, participated at the APC.
Responding to the political party leaders call for urgent relief for the people, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa assured that relief would be provided before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. The Finance Minister said that taking into consideration proposals made by leaders of political parties, he was ready to bring in a new budget, subject to the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers.
Former Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe warned that the country would experience the crisis for a long time. Therefore, relief should be provided to the people, the UNP leader said, while reminding the President and the SLPP that the IMF report on Sri Lanka hadn’t been made available to Parliament yet.
Colombo District MP Wickremesinghe asked FM Rajapaksa to ask the IMF representative here to come to the Presidential Secretariat after the latter claimed the report hadn’t been received yet.
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
