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Direction Sri Lanka calls on MPs to elect person most suitable and acceptable to people as Prez
* Unflinching public attention is on each and every MP
Civil society grouping, Direction Sri Lanka, largely comprising professionals, yesterday called on MPs to act with conscience, solely in the national interest at this crucial juncture of our Country, forgetting all political and personal agendas and other interests, to ensure that the person most suitable and acceptable to the people, is elected as the President of the Republic.
In a letter addressed to the MPs, DSL said: Sri Lanka is currently going through the worst economic and political crisis since independence. Every segment of the citizenry is adversely affected. This situation without doubt is due to the misrule, corruption and the total failure of good governance by the popularly elected leaders specially in the last several years. A peaceful and mostly nonviolent uprising by the people, especially the youth, resulted in the resignation of the President, Prime Minister, several other Ministers and Officials considered responsible for this unacceptable state of affairs.
Following the resignation of the President, it is a matter of extreme urgency that a new President is elected and a stable government established to manage the recovery process. The onus and responsibility of filling the vacancy by electing a successor President has been placed on the Members of Parliament, by the Constitution. It is a responsibility that each Member of Parliament is required to perform for and on behalf of all people of this country, as their elected representatives.
In this context, we are greatly perturbed and wish to place on record our disappointment and displeasure concerning the fact that Parliament has been unable to select a person by consensus. From the information in the public domain, it appears that at present, there are no less than four persons who aspire to be elected to this office and that such nominations are being made along party lines.
In our view, the election of a President of the Republic at this critical juncture based on party affiliations for reasons of political expediency or political survival, is totally unacceptable. In the context of the recent events and the peoples’ aspirations, we consider that certain matters are of paramount importance, when electing the President of the Republic. It is imperative that the person to be elected as President of the Republic should be a person;
1. Who will unify and rally the Country rather than be one who will cause further dissension and division.
– The result of the election by itself, should be one which settles widespread protests that presently prevail. The Country and its people cannot afford a state of unending unrest and confusion and it is not one which could or should be quelled by the use of force.
2. Who will not be seen as an extension of the former regime or government, which has been resoundingly rejected by the people.
– The experience of the last few months amply demonstrates that a person or government perceived as such, does not and will not gain the confidence of the people.
3. Who will gain general acceptance and the confidence of the people within the Country as well as internationally.
– In our view, it is only a person who has general acceptance internally, that will be capable of gaining international acceptance.
4. Capable of bringing together all parties in Parliament to form a true National Government, which will work on a common minimum programme of work for the purpose of restoring the basic needs of the people within a short space of time and thereafter, proceed to hold a general election.
– A government formed by arbitrarily and manipulatively picking persons from different parties will not succeed, as amply proven in the last few months. Such a government will only aggravate the current economic and political situation in the Country.
5. Who is committed to the immediate repeal of the 20th Amendment and the restoration of at least the position under the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, without any resort to transitional provisions for the preservation of any features of the 20th Amendment for any period of time.
– It should be noted that this is a fundamental demand of the people of this Country and any person who does not accept this principle will not be acceptable to the people. [The issue of continuation or otherwise of the Executive Presidential System or the transformation to a Parliamentary System of government should in due course be presented to the people for consideration.]
We request the Members of Parliament to be mindful that as demonstrated by the recent events, mere constitutional legitimacy of a person elected to the high office of the President of the Republic is insufficient to gain the acceptance and confidence of its people and the person needs moral legitimacy to govern.
We therefore call upon each Member of Parliament to act with conscience, solely in the National Interest at this crucial juncture of our Country, forgetting all political and personal agendas and other interests, to ensure that the person most suitable and acceptable to the people, is elected (preferably by consensus) as the President of the Republic. The unflinching public attention is on each and every Member of Parliament at this critical moment of this Nation.
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
