News
Diana petitions SC against SJB move to sack her
‘She switched her allegiance to SLPP by voting for 20A’
By Chitra Weerarathne and Shamindra Ferdinando
Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) National List MP Diana Gamage has sought the intervention of the Supreme Court to thwart a move to expel her from the party.
Gamage says that in case the party went ahead with its decision, she would lose her parliamentary seat.
The SJB says MP Gamage has been expelled because she voted for the 20 A to the Constitution submitted by the government. The controversial Amendment received a two-thirds majority in Parliament in Oct. 2020.
The petitioner has requested the SC to direct the Elections Commission and the Secretary General of Parliament not to take action against her.
Among the respondents are SJB Secretary General Ranjith Madduma Bandara and its leader Sajith Premadasa. Diana Gamage, in her petition alleged that the party deprived her of a fair hearing before her expulsion from the party.
The SJB secured 54 seats at the last parliamentary elections held in August 2020. Gamage was among the seven National List lawmakers appointed on the SJB list. Other than Gamage, the SJB accommodated former UNP MPs on its National List. They are Tissa Attanayake, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Harin Fernando, Mayantha Dissanayake, Eran Wickremaratne and Imthiaz Bakeer Markar.
Gamage joined fellow SJB MPs Ishaq Rahuman, M. Raheem, Nasir Ahmed, Mohomed Harris, Faizal Cassim, Aravind Kumar and M.S. Thowfeek to vote for the 20A.
In the run-up to the 2020 parliamentary polls, the rebel UNP group took over ‘Ape Jathika Peramuna’ formed by Diana Gamage’s husband Senaka de Silva, one-time top aide to General Sarath Fonseka and registered it as Samagi Jana Balavegaya under controversial circumstances. In terms of the agreement between Senaka de Silva and the UNP rebel group, Diana Gamage received a National List slot, in addition to her being named the Deputy Secretary General of the SJB.
Civil society activist and one-time media head of President Maithripala Sirisena’s social media unit Oshala Herath, an unsuccessful UNP candidate at the last parliamentary election, made an abortive bid to thwart the re-registration of Ape Jathika Peramuna as Samagi Jana Balavegaya. The attempt was made before Herath received nomination from the UNP to contest the Colombo District at the 2020 election.
An SJB official told The Island that Diana Gamage couldn’t represent the SLPP at the expense of her own party. She had even attended a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat, chaired by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the official said, pointing out that she crossed the line when she voted for the 20 A contrary to a decision taken by the party.
Now that Gamage has switched her allegiance to the SLPP, the SJB had felt the need to bring the matter to a conclusion by removing her, the official said.
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
