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GL cries foul over govt. misusing state machinery to fight election
By Rathindra Kuruwita
None of the actions and initiatives of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government are sincere and the state machinery is being blatantly misused for election purposes, MP G.L Peiris says.
The former law professor said yesterday that in recent months the government had established an independent Commission for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation and Community Advisory Committees (CAC).
“Usually, governments make these big gestures in the first 100 days of being elected. That is the honeymoon period of the government and there is ample time for the administration to see these initiatives through. However, the current administration is launching new grand initiatives left, right and centre in the last 100 days. It is obvious that this is an attempt to mislead people,” he said.
Peiris said that the government was attempting to attract the votes of ethnic minorities. Recently, the government had declared it would increase the daily wage of estate workers to Rs. 1,700, but within 24 hours the planters had threatened to take the government to court, stating that they were not consulted before taking this decision, Prof. Peiris said.
“Just like that, the discussion on Truth, Unity and Reconciliation is aimed at obtaining the votes in the North and the East. On the other hand, the government has not held Local Government or Provincial Council elections. Whom will the government discuss truth and reconciliation with? This should be done with the representatives of the people. The Provincial Council elections have not been held for around six years and the local council election was to be held last year. When the government tried to postpone the Local Government elections, we went to court, which ordered the government to release the funds that had already been earmarked from the Budget. However, the government even ignored court orders,” he said.
The MP said that the government had held several meetings with political party representatives about reconciliation and finding a political solution to the problems in the North and East. These meetings had yielded no results.
In 2010, the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) was set up to investigate the facts and circumstances which had led to the failure of the ceasefire agreement made operational on 27 February 2002, the lessons that should be learnt from those events and the institutional, administrative and legislative measures which need to be taken in order to prevent any recurrence of such concerns in the future, and to promote further national unity and reconciliation among all communities. That was followed by the Maxwell Paranagama and Udalagama Commission.
“If anything, we must study these commission reports, identify the gaps and clearly state how we should address these,” he said.
Meanwhile the CAC, appointed to oversee the Urumaya Land Ownership Programme, the Urban Home Ownership Programme, the “Kandukara Dasakaya” Development Programme, the Agriculture Modernization Programme and the Rice Distribution Programme, was most likely to be manned by SLPP and UNP politicians, he said.
“Some of them can even be candidates for the Local Government elections, which have been postponed indefinitely. Each CAC is given allocate10 million rupees. Key decisions of the CAC will be taken by the Provincial Governors who are directly appointed by the President. So, it is evident that these will be highly politicised structures,” Prof. Peiris 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
