News
Consensus on Speaker as Acting Prez, Ranil’s move to succeed GR rejected
Prez to resign on July 13; agreement on all-party government
By The Island News Desk
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has assured the nation that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will resign on July 13. Speaker Abeywardene said that he had received such an assurance when he informed President Rajapaksa of decisions taken at a party leaders’ meeting chaired by him at the Speaker’s official residence Saturday (09) late afternoon. The announcement was made soon after mobs set Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence at the Flower Road ablaze.
The Speaker chaired the meeting under police guard as protesters gathered outside his official residence. Several leaders of political parties represented in Parliament and senior representatives of some political parties attended the meeting while some joined via zoom.Former President and leader of the SLFP Maithripala Sirisena, MP, declared that both President Rajapaksa and Premier Wickremesinghe had to step down. He warned that those who campaigned for genuine change of government wouldn’t tolerate Wickremesinghe’s continuation as the PM.If Wickremesinghe continues to be the PM, he will have to be sworn in as the Acting President. Speaker Abeywardena revealed that Premier Wickremesinghe, who participated at the meeting chaired by him, had proposed himself as the Acting President.
Consequent to what the Speaker called a lengthy meeting the following proposals were submitted to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. (a) The President and the Prime Minister had to resign from their offices as soon as possible (b) according to the Constitution, the next step is to convene parliament within seven days and make a decision by consensus to appoint an Acting President (c) the establishment of an interim government headed by a new Prime Minister according to a in terms of consensus of the all-party representatives representing the current Parliament under the acting President (d) Thereafter, calling for an election within a certain period of time and giving the people the opportunity to elect a new parliament.
The Speaker said Premier Wickremesinghe had also proposed an alternative set of proposals namely (a) The President resigns immediately and the Prime Minister becomes the Acting President (b) the formation of an interim government under the leadership of a new Prime Minister. If that was not acceptable both the President and the Prime Minister should resign, appoint a representative from the Parliament as the Acting President, then appoint a new Prime Minister with the consent of all parties to pave the way for an interim government for a specified period.
The current Parliament is represented by 15 political parties. They are SLPP (145 members), SJB (54), ITAK (10), JJB (03), AITC (02), EPDP (02), UNP, SLFP, OPPP (Our Power of People Party), TMVP (Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal), MNA (Muslim National Alliance), TMTK (Tamil Makkal Theshiya Kutani), ACMC (All Ceylon Makkal Congress), NC (National Congress) and SLMC (Sri Lanka Muslim Congress) represented by one MP each.
Matara District SLPP lawmaker Dullus Alahapperuma on behalf of the dissident SLPP MPs told The Island that both the President and the Prime Minister should resign to pave the way for swift implementation of the decisions taken at the meeting chaired by Speaker Abeywardena.
MP Alahapperuma emphasised that had the President given up executive power at an earlier stage of the campaign his resignation, the transfer of power could have taken place smoothly. Unfortunately, the President had delayed his decision until it was too late, Alahapperuma said, urging the people to remain calm. Violence would only aggravate the current political-economic-social crisis and impede ongoing efforts to form a stable government, he added.
In a statement issued by a group of SLPP MPs headed by Alahapperuma as the Army vacated the President’s House, the Presidential Secretariat (Old Parliament building) and Temple Trees, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was urged to quit forthwith.
A member of the group, Anuradhapura District MP Prof. Channa Jayasumana told The Island that although only16 signed the letter their group consisted of 47 SLPP members. The signatories to the statement are Dullus Alahapperuma, Prof. Channa Jayasumana, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, Prof. Charitha Herath, Udayana Kirindigoda, K.P.S. Kumarasiri, Lalith Ellawala, Sudath Manjula, Upul Galappathy, Wasantha Yapa Bandara, K. Kodituwakku, Gunapala Ratnasekera, Akila Saliya Ellawela, Udayakantha Gunatilleke, Dilan Perera and Thilak Rajapaksha.
Several Viyathmaga nominees were among them.Prof. Jayasumana said that the group of 47 felt that the resignation of the President would enable both him and his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, MP, to retain the honour of bringing the war to a successful conclusion. He alleged that a small group of people bent on remaining in power had convinced the President to reject repeated calls for his resignation.
SJB leader Sajith Premadasa declared that his party wouldn’t under any circumstances accept the continuation of UNP leader Wickremesinghe as the Premier. He said his party would not attend a meeting called by Premier Wickremesinghe on Saturday.
On Saturday, two SLPPers lawmakers, Transport, Highways and Media Minister Bandula Gunawardena and Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera announced their decision to quit the Cabinet. SLFPer Amaraweera said that he would relinquish the portfolio as soon as he accepted a shipment of urea from India at the Colombo Port over the weekend.
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
