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Even offering a cup of tea to a voter may land candidates in trouble at future elections – Manjula Gajanayaka
Text and pictures by PRIYAN DE SILVA
National coordinator for the Center for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) Manjula Gajanayake says even offering a cup of tea to a voter could land candidates in trouble at future elections. Gajanayake said so referring to the election petition 01/2018 filed in the Uva Provincial High Court by W M Sunil Shantha Wanasinghe and the land mark judgment delivered by the Additional High Court Judge Monaragala on 13 September 2021
The election petition was filed on an initiative taken by the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) and the Peoples Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL). The National Coordinator of the CMEV Manjula Gajanayake and the Executive Director of PAFFREL Rohana Hettiarachchi were among the key witnesses for the petitioner S M Sunil Shantha Wanasinghe who contested the Maduruketiya ward of the Monaragala Pradeshiya Sabha on the UNP ticket at the Local Government poll held on 10th February 2018.
On the 22 of January 2018, the petitioner complained to the CMEV that D M Tharnga Harshaka Priya Prasad Dissanayaka contesting on the SLPP ticket for the Maduruketiya ward of the Monaragala PS was offering goods and services to voters as bribes during the election period in violation of the Local Government Ordinance.
After making impartial inquiries about the allegations through CMEV’s electorate based field observers, Gajanayake made a formal complaint to the Election Commission of Sri Lanka (ECSL) and thereafter together with PAFFREL, assisted Sunil Shantha to take forward the legal process.
Delivering judgment, the learned Additional High Court Judge R S A Dissanayaike held that the defendant has violated provisions of the Local Government Ordinance and therefore should be unseated.
Gajanayake said that usually all the election observation missions deployed around 15,000 observers at any election in Sri Lanka and for the 2018 LG election the CMEV and PAFFREL had deployed nearly 9,000 static observers and another 300 electorate-based field observers.
Gajanayake stressed that the CMEV and PAFFREL were not satisfied with the manner in which the post-election complaints were handled by both the ECSL and the Sri Lanka police as no action had been taken to inquire into even the 55 or so complaints the ECSL had forwarded to the Police.
“If the Election Commission and the Sri Lanka Police had d acted on the nearly 1000 election related complaints made by the CMEV and PAFFREL during the last parliamentary election, some present day Members of Parliament and even ministers would have been unseated. I hope that at least in the future, the ECSL will ensure that the Police take action ” Gajanayake 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
