News
Appointment of new EC awaited to take up SJB MP’s British citizenship
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Civil society activist Oshala Herath intends to draw the attention of the new Election Commission (EC) to the failure on the part of the outgoing EC to inquire into his complaint regarding British citizen Diana Gamage’s appointment to Parliament through the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) National List.
Defeated UNP Colombo District candidate at the last general election, Herath told The Island that he would write to the new EC immediately after its formulation this week.
The five-year term of the EC headed by Mahinda Deshapriya constituted in mid Nov 2015 in terms of the 19th Amendment enacted earlier the same year would come to an end this week. In addition to Deshapriya, a career Election Department senior official, the EC included Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole and Nalin Abeysekera, PC.
Herath made available a copy of a letter written to the Director, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) requesting for an inquiry into the matter. Referring to two British passports (numbers given) used by Gamage, in addition to an official Sri Lankan passport in her possession, Herath requested the CID to probe those who had helped her to procure an official passport and also allowed her to participate in the general election process.
Herath has copied the letter to the Office of the President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, SJB leader, the IGP, Attorney General, Controller Immigration and Emigration, Chairman EC and Secretary General Parliament.
When The Island pointed out that no less a person than Chairman, EC firmly stated in response to his inquiries all documents submitted by Gamage as an SJB National List nominee was in order, Herath said that the EC never bothered to conduct a proper inquiry before reaching that conclusion. Herath alleged that the new NL lawmaker hadn’t furnished documents pertaining to her British citizenship to Sri Lankan authorities therefore they didn’t know her status quo at the time she entered parliament.
Gamage, who is also the Assistant Secretary of the party, was among seven SJB lawmakers in parliament. The SJB altogether secured 54 seats in the current parliament.
In the run-up to last parliamentary election, breakaway UNP faction led by UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa clinched a deal with Ape Jathika Peramuna (AJP) registered by Diana Gamage’s current husband Senaka de Silva formerly of the Army that enabled the UNP rebels to contest the election. They re-registered AJP as the SJB with Sajith Premadasa as its Chairman, NL MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara its General Secretary and Diana Gamage Assistant Secretary.
Contrary to claims AJP no longer existed, Herath said, alleging that the UNP conveniently turned a blind eye to the UNP rebel group brazenly manipulating the process in place to re-register a political party. The party leaders’ meetings chaired by the EC, too, ignored the matter and in fact cooperated with the clandestine project, Herath, who served former President Maithripala Sirisena’s media unit, said.
Diana Gamage recently dismissed the SJB threat to initiate disciplinary action against her over voting for the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. Gamage was among half a dozen SJB lawmakers representing various constituent parties who voted for the 20th Amendment.
Herath said that the parliament couldn’t ignore accusations directed at MP Diana against the backdrop of Geetha Kumarasinghe losing her seat in the last parliament. Kumarasinghe lost her seat as a result of a case filed against her in terms of the 19th Amendment that barred dual citizens in parliament. The 20th Amendment did away with that provision.
In terms of the 20th Amendment, the EC will comprise five persons. The President will constitute the EC having obtained opinion of the five-member Parliamentary Council (PC) headed by the Speaker. The PC consists of Speaker, PM, Opposition Leader and representative each of the PM and the Opposition Leader.
Herath said that he would take up the issue with the PC if the new EC too ignored the complaint lodged in respect of the SJB lawmaker.
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
