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Current govt. has no legitimacy, says Kiriella
By Saman Indrajith
The incumbent government was a lottery win for Ranil Wickremesinghe and a breathing space for the Rajapaksas, Chief Opposition Whip Kandy District SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella said yesterday.
Addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Colombo, Kiriella said that the makeshift government would not be able to solve the problems the people were faced with.
“This government is without any legitimacy. It has MPs who have been bought off. It does not represent people’s wishes. As long as this government is in existence, the international community will not consider extending any meaningful assistance to this country to get out of the present predicament. To have a legitimate government we need a fresh election and fresh mandate from the people.”
Kiriella said that the leaders of the makeshift government had sought assistance from the international community. “A few countries have provided some assistance, but there is nothing substantial. Take a look at the statements issued recently by the World Bank, the IMF, the UN and leading countries. They all insist on two conditions to give assistance. They demand the government should submit its economic plan to get out of this crisis. Economic reforms are needed because our expenditure is three times our earnings. The second condition is that we should go for political reforms. This government may keep asking but there would be no assistance until we fulfil these two conditions,” Kiriella said, adding that the incumbent government could deliver nothing to achieve those conditions.
“We foresaw this economic disaster one and half years back. We warned the government of this. Not only us, the economists and many experts warned the government of an inevitable crisis and advised them to go to the IMF. The government was so arrogant that it did not give two hoots about the warnings. There had been a finance minister who kept bunking parliament for months. He did not come to parliament even after we demanded. Today we have neither dollars nor rupees. The government keeps dreaming that they will receive dollars. One ministry issued a statement that the World Bank would give us 700 million dollars. Within 24 hours, the World Bank issued a clarification that there was no such thing and they have not even commenced talks to consider the assistance to this country.
“This government has lost its credibility. How one could expect the international community to trust this government when not even the Lankan expatriates trust them. Lankan expatriates do not send dollars here because they do not trust the government.
“The only solution before us is to go for an election. If a new government is in power people will wait for solutions. The international community prefers to work with a new government. A new government cannot be made by buying over MPs of a parliament that has lost its legitimacy because people say that parliament no longer represents them,” Kiriella said.
Badulla District SJB MP Chaminda Wijesiri also addressed the press.
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
