News
Explanation sought from govt; Douglas silent on issue at Romesh de Silva Committee
North granted land powers:
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Myanmar, Prof. Nalin de Silva, has said that the government owes an explanation as regards EPDP leader Douglas Devananda’s recent claim that the current administration granted the Northern Province (NP) land powers in terms of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
Responding to The Island report headlined ‘North granted land powers’ published on 19 Feb, Prof. de Silva emphasised the responsibility on the part of the government and Devananda, who holds the fisheries portfolio to set the record straight as far as he was concerned Provincial Councils never received police and land powers.
The NP consists of the administrative districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya. Prof. de Silva challenged Devananda’s claim that the NP had received land powers hitherto enjoyed by other Provincial Councils.
The retired Academic underscored the pivotal importance in establishing whether provinces other than the North exercised land powers before it was granted the same.
According to a missive from Prof. de Silva received by The Island, the academic asked what were the specific land powers granted to the North, did the government act in terms of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and when exactly such powers were granted? Ambassador de Silva pointed out that even in the absence of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution; respective Land Commissioners enjoyed certain powers. Therefore, it would be pertinent to ask whether powers in terms of the 13th Amendment, too, had been granted, Prof. de Silva said pointing out that Devananda had faulted Public Security Minister retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera for taking a public stand against the devolution of power to the Provinces.
Prof. de Silva said that the vast majority of the Sinhala community was of the same opinion that if necessary a referendum could be held on the devolution of powers.
He referred to a court ruling that a particular land matter couldn’t be dealt in terms of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
The academic turned diplomat questioned the rationale behind the EPDP leader’s claim. Although politicians routinely made all sorts of claims, Devananda’s declaration couldn’t be taken lightly as he was a member of the cabinet of ministers.
Prof. de Silva speculated on the possibility of Devananda’s claim being part of propaganda as he battled with other Tamil political parties based in the Northern Province.
Recently, the Indian High Commission discussed with TMVP lawmaker Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pilleyan and former MP Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan aka Karuna, both former members of the LTTE, the need for the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
Referring to the roles played by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in the government and the SLPP, respectively, Ambassador de Silva appreciated the recent decision taken by SLPP constituents to meet under the President’s leadership. He said that the decision should have been taken earlier. Emphasizing that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the leader of the SLPP-led coalition in power, Amb de Silva said that Minister Devananda had quite rightly recognized the ground realities. Prof. de Silva said now that the SLPP constituents would meet once in two weeks, Devananda would get an opportunity to discuss matters of mutual interest such as the operation of Provincial Councils system with the focus on land powers.
Amb. de Silva explained that it was important to understand who was in control of the incumbent administration. The mathematician emphasized that the coalition led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was in control, not the SLPP as believed by many.
Meanwhile, Minister Devananda on Saturday (20) appeared before the government appointed 9-member committee tasked with formulating a new Constitution. The committee headed by Romesh de Silva, PC is in the process of receiving representations from political parties. Well informed sources told The Island that during Saturday’s representations Minister Devananda didn’t make reference to the NP being granted land powers.
Successive governments refrained from implementing land and police powers though President JR Jayewardene set up Provincial Councils in terms of the 13th Amendment enacted under Indian pressure in the late 80s with those provisions.
All Provincial Councils are defunct due to the failure on the part of the previous government to conduct elections though Governors appointed by the executive run them. Government sources said that a section of the government was opposed to polls before Romesh de Silva’s committee finalized its proposals. Sources said that the proposed Constitution would be ready by April for consideration of the cabinet.
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.
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