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Devolution talks: Gevindu alleges Ranil giving in to TNA
by Shamindra Ferdinando
Rebel SLPP lawmaker Gevindu Cumaratunga yesterday warned that post-war national reconciliation couldn’t be achieved by appeasing the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
National List MP Cumaratunga said so commenting on the discussion President Ranil Wickremesinghe had with lawmakers representing the Northern and Eastern Provinces. The talks centered on devolution of power. The Tamil National People’s Front led by Gajendra Kumar Ponnambalam skipped the meeting.
MP Cumaratunga found fault with President Wickremesinghe for succumbing to TNA ultimatum that it wouldn’t accept government invitation unless members representing both Northern and Eastern Provinces were called together.
“The original plan was for the President to meet legislators representing the two provinces, separately. But, that plan was changed soon after the TNA warned it wouldn’t attend a separate meeting for Northern Province Tamil MPs, lawmaker Cumaratunga said. The TNA parliamentary group consists of 10 members.
In spite of the LTTE’s demise 14 years ago, the TNA apparently believed it could pursue its separatist agenda by putting pressure on individuals, the MP said, drawing President Wickremesinghe’s attention to the TNA wartime relationship with the LTTE as its mouthpiece. The leader of Yuthukama civil society group said that the TNA current strategy should be examined against the backdrop of its recognition of the LTTE way back in 2001 as the sole representative of the Tamil speaking people.
Responding to The Island query, lawmaker Cumaratunga pointed out that in the absence of a consensus among Tamil members representing the Northern and Easern Provinces, President Wickremesinghe couldn’t bring talks on power devolution to a successful concluson.
One-time TNA Chief Minister of the Northern Province C.V. Wigneswaran’s proposal made in parliament for the setting up of an interm administraive arrangement at provincial level until Provincial Council elections were held had been rejected by the TNA.
MP Cumaratunga questioned the rationale in leaving Sinhala lawmakers representing the Eastern Province out of the meeting chaired by President Wickremesinghe. The decision to restrict the meeting to a selected group of lawmakers couldn’t be justified under any circumstances, he pointed out
President Wickremesinghe had quite conveniently forgotten that he was elected by Parliament to complete the remainder of ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s five-year term, MP Cumaratunga said. Instead of addressing pressing economic issues, President Wickremesinghe was bending backwards to appease the TNA, the MP said, adding that India couldn’t absolve itself of the responsibility for causing terrorism here to facilitate high profile separatist project.
Should we give in to New Delhi’s evil designs, MP Cumaratunga asked, citing numerous examples to stress that Eastern Province couldn’t be merged with the Northern Province as demanded by the separatist movement. The Supreme Court in late Oct 2006 de-merged the Eastern Province from the North as the merger effected in the wake of July 1987 one sided Indo-Lanka Accord was subject to a referendum in the Eastern Province to ascertain whether the majority accepted that arrangement.
The TNA and other interested parties were also propagating lies that attacks were directed at Tamils’ religious sites and lands in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, MP Cumaratunga said.
The nationalist MP said that another issue that has caused concern was the move to introduce a new Central Bank Act. President Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister should review the Bill titled ‘Central Bank of Sri Lanka’ in the wake of the Supreme Court determination that 46 out of 134 clauses of the said Bill violated the Constitution, hence the need to introduce several dozen amendments.
Alleging Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena of misinterpreting the SC determination in a bid to deceive parliament and the country, MP Cumaratunga urged the President to present a new bill prepared after having incorporated the amendments proposed by the Attorney General’s Department.
Appreciating the government decision to put off the one day debate and vote scheduled to be taken on May 11 on the Bill, MP Cumaratunga however expressed concern that incorporation of desired amendments at the Committee Stage could go awry. The MP recalled how those who had been in power manipulated the Committee Stage process to insert what they wanted instead of what was agreed on.
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
