News
Ding-dong arguments over alleged attempts to protect ‘tie-coat’ thieves of previous regime
By Saman Indrajith
The decision to have deferred telecasts of the proceedings of parliamentary committees including the COPE and the COPA was not aimed at protecting ‘tie-coat thieves of Colombo 07’, the Chief Government Whip told Parliament yesterday.
Chief Government Whip Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said categorizing the thieves of the former government (2015-2019) into two groups––the ‘tie-coat’ and ‘Colombo 07’ was a task for the SJB.
“We have nothing to do with these thieves. Our objective is to expose those who ruined this country. The SJB needs to highlight only one set of thieves.”
Fernando said so in response to some questions raised by Opposition MPs with regard to a decision to change the live telecast of committee sessions to delayed transmission.
SJB Colombo District MP S.M. Marikkar said that the government had decided to have deferred telecasts of the committee proceedings. “The COPE and other committees are going to investigate the malpractices of the previous government during the
period of 2015 to 2019. Various corrupt deals will be exposed and their thieves would be identified. We have no problem with that. The government is going for a delayed transmission to edit the content so that it could spare the names of tie-coat thieves from Colombo 07 in the former government. That is not done.”
Assistant Government Whip Jagath Pushpakumara said MP Marikkar was misleading the House. “The idea of the delayed transmission was discussed at the first COPE meeting. The new chairman asked members to express their opinions. Some Opposition members are asking for the post of Chairman of COPE and COPA. They say that the COPE chairmanship was given to the Opposition in the past. That is wrong. It was given to Sunil Handunnetti of JVP, which was an appendage of the yahapalana government. The JVP was there to protect the interests of the then government. So, the COPE chairmanship was in fact retained by that government.
Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella:
The decision to telecast was approved by parliament. I myself as the Leader of the House presented the motion to the effect in this House.
Kurunegala District SJB MP Nalin Bandara:
I am a member of the COPE. The government is trying the stop the live telecast. The decision should come from the COPE Chairman. It is not a decision that could be made by others.
Chief Government Whip Minister Fernando:
That decision was discussed at the Business Committee where MP Kiriella too was present. MP Bandara was not a member of that committee so he does not know. The decision was made at the party leaders’ meeting. It has to be implemented now.
Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa:
The Opposition is putting on a show wasting public funds. This is not an issue at all. The decision has been made at the party leaders’ meeting. After that, the Opposition MPs come here and shout to attract media attention. This is a waste of the House time and public funds.
SLPP MP Jayantha Ketagoda:
MP Kiriella says that their government made that decision so that we should continue it. That cannot be. We did not come here to implement your decisions. We are a new government and we do things the way we want.
Chief Government Whip Minister Fernando said the previous government had introduced the live telecast as party of its political witch-hunt. The previous government used this live transmission to cast some people in a poor light. “We can also use this live telecast as a political means to an end. But there is something called moral values. What do most TV channels do using these telecasts? They take specific cuts from this telecast and use them for political campaigns. (Referring to MP Marikkar) Yes, channels that represent people like you. We are not letting any public officials lose their self-respect. This government is not putting on media shows. Your government did that. People overwhelmingly rejected what your government did. That is why they gave us a two-thirds majority. We are not doing what your government did.
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
