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Exclusive: New Amendment proposed to address political crisis

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Prez to be empowered to remove PM, cabinet among far reaching proposals 

By Shamindra Ferdinando
Amidst Sri Lanka’s worst ever political and economic crises that triggered a spate of protests,

two of Sri Lanka’s eminent lawyers, Romesh de Silva, PC and Manohara de Silva, PC, have urged

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to bring in an urgent amendment to the Constitution to address the issues at hand.

Romesh de Silva led the nine-member expert team that recently finalized a draft Constitution as requested by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on behalf of the government.

They have advised the President  that it wouldn’t be possible to form a cabinet representing all political parties represented in Parliament under the present Constitution without a fresh amendment.

They have also submitted the proposed amendment to the leader of the main Opposition Party, the  Samagi Jana Balvegaya (SJB), who is also the Leader of the Opposition.

Well-informed sources said that urgent action was required to address the political and economic crisis.

The success on the current efforts to save the national economy could go awry unless the President and all political parties represented in Parliament take tangible measures to restore political stability, the two legal experys have pointed out.

Sources pointed out that the President hadn’t been able to finalize the cabinet nearly a week after members of the cabinet except Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned. Sources said that the President and the Opposition Leader could make an effort to reach a consensus with their respective parties.

The text of the proposed AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION

The following Article to be inserted after Article 44 and shall be numbered as Article 44A

(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Constitution, the President may in extraordinary and special circumstances –

(a) Remove from office the Prime Minister and members of the Cabinet of Ministers

(b) Appoint a Prime Minister in accordance with paragraph (3) of Article 43 subject to the approval of Parliament.

(c) Appoint a Cabinet of Ministers consisting of not more than fifteen Ministers who –

  1. Have the expertise in the subject and function assigned to him under sub paragraph (d)and,
  2. are not Members of Parliament or of any political party :

Provided that, the appointment of each of the members of the Cabinet of Ministers is approved by Parliament:

Provided further that the Appointment of each of such members is approved by the majority of the members of Parliament who are not members of the party of which the Prime Minister is a member

(d)  Assign subjects and functions to such Minister, provided that such Minister has the expertise in any such subject and is capable of performing the functions so assigned.

(2)The Cabinet of Ministers appointed under paragraph (1) shall function for a period of one year and may be reappointed until the next Parliamentary election is concluded, subject to the approval of Parliament

Sources said that if accepted, provision would have to be made to compel Ministers to attend Parliament to answer questions regarding his/her Ministry. Romesh de Silva and Manohara de Silva have informed the President in the wake of controversy over Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa not being present in Parliament to answer questions regarding the financial crisis.



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US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development

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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.”

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Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees

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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.

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CIPM successfully concludes 8th Annual Symposium

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Left to right, Prof. Arosha Adikaram - Chairperson of the Symposium, UAC Obeyesekere – Chief Executive Officer, CIPM Sri Lanka, Guest of Honor - Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer, MAS Holdings PVT Ltd., Sri Lanka, Ken Vijayakumar, President, CIPM Sri Lanka, Priyantha Ranasinghe,Vice President, CIPM Sri Lanka, Col. Saman Jayawickrama (Retd) – Secretary, CIPM Sri Lanka, Dr Dilanjalee Weerathunga – Co Chairperson of the Symposium

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.

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