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Boralugoda lion would never have approved non-holding of elections
NPP/JVP FR over local council elections
Philip Gunawardena, who earned the appellation ‘Boralugoda Lion’ for his fearless fights for democracy, would never approve of his son, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena’s quest to deprive people of their right to vote, Nigel Hatch PC told the Supreme Court last week. He was leading an elite team of lawyers supporting the JVP-NPP sponsored fundamental rights petition against the government’s delay in the holding of the local council polls.
Hatch pointed out in court that not holding the polls has not only breached the provisions of the Constitution as well as Local Authorities Elections statutes but also deprived the people of their fundamental right to franchise.
He said that the son of Boralugoda Lion, through a President’s Counsel, was pleading with the court not to hold elections. The arguments raised by the Attorney General’s Department for not holding elections have no substance. The court should intervene to bring about justice for the people, and leave should be granted for the petition.
The leave to proceed was granted by a five-judge bench of the SC, comprising Justice Buwaneka Aluwihare PC, and Justices Priyantha Jayawardena PC, Vijith Kumara Malalgoda PC, Murdu Fernando PC, and Gamini Amarasekara.
The petition was filed on March 14, 2023. The Attorney General initially raised the preliminary objections stated that the NPP petition should be dismissed as there was no case to be heard since the National Elections Commission has not been cited as a respondent.
Faiz Mustafa PC, appearing for the Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, stated that the matter of conducting the elections was now with Parliament.
The bench overruled both preliminary objections raised by the Attorney General and Mustafa on the maintainability of the petition and ordered the support of the petition on the merits.
After a nine-hour period on two hearing days, the Attorney General opposed the granting of leave to proceed against the respondents represented by him on the basis that the EC had allegedly fixed the date for elections without consulting all stakeholders and that there was no money to fund the same.
Saliya Peiris PC, appearing for the Elections Commission, said that he was ashamed to see the laughable arguments by the Attorney General’s Department. He said that the members of both the previous and incumbent elections commissions have instructed him that they were in a position to hold the elections if the funds for that purpose are released.
Faiz Mustafa PC for the Prime Minister argued that the parlous state of national economy necessitated the postponement of the elections.
Hatch in his reply submissions countered the arguments of the AG and Mustafa and added Philip Gunawardena, who earned the appellation ‘Boralugoda Lion’ for his fearless fights for democracy would not endorse the actions of his son who was defending the non-holding of elections.
Senior Additional Solicitor General Priyantha Nawana, PC, appeared for the Attorney General and the Cabinet of ministers, including the minister of finance. Saliya Peiris PC appeared for the Elections Commission, and Faiz Mustafa PC for the Prime Minister. Nigel Hatch PC, Shantha Jayawardena, Sunil Watagala and Ms S Ilangagae appeared for the NPP petitioners, namely Dr Harini Amarasuriya MP, Sunil Hendunetti and Dr Nihal Abeysinghe.The case is fixed for October 2, 4, 9, and 10 for hearing.
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
