News
GL frowns on Prez downplaying importance of elections before judges
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Rebel SLPP MP Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday (12) questioned the propriety of President Ranil Wickremesinghe recently dismissing the importance of elections at the recent National Law Conference, at the Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya.
Addressing the media at the Nawala Office of Nidahasa Janatha Sabhawa, the former External Affairs Minister said that President Wickremesinghe had declared at the BASL (Bar Association of Sri Lanka) event that the people had no faith in elections.
Prof. Peiris pointed out that among the distinguished gathering were judges of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal hearing petitions filed against the indefinite postponement of Local Government polls. The former minister alleged that President Wickremesinghe had ignored the 19th March, 2023, deadline for the holding of LG polls.
Prof. Peiris pointed out that there had never been a previous instance of a President declaring elections weren’t important as the vast majority of the population including the youth had lost faith in elections and the political party system.
President Wickremesinghe’s move at the BASL event should be examined, taking into consideration how the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government had disregarded the specific Supreme Court ruling issued on 03rd March, this year, Prof. Peiris said.
Instead of making available required funds to the Election Commission, as directed by the Supreme Court, the government had sought to haul judges up before parliamentary privileges and ethics committee, Prof. Peiris said, referring to statements made in Parliament by State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe and MP Premanath Dolawatte in respect of the 03rd March Supreme Court ruling.
President Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister, and Secretary to the Treasury Mahinda Siriwardena, owed an explanation as to why the SC directive wasn’t carried out.
Prof. Peiris said that President Wickremesinghe seemed to be going flat out to deprive the electorate an opportunity to exercise their franchise at any level. The recent declaration that the government intended to enact the Broadcasting Regulatory Commission Bill was meant to rein in electronic media, Prof. Peiris said. That would be a crucial part of their overall strategy, Prof. Peiris said, adding that the proposed Counter Terrorism Bill was also intended to suppress what the former minister called democratic Opposition.
Commenting on the Bill, titled ‘Central Bank of Sri Lanka,’ Prof. Peiris said that the government was pursuing a disputable strategy, regardless of the developing crisis that made the country vulnerable for further shocks.
Contrary to speculation that President Wickremesinghe was contemplating advancing the date for the next presidential election, scheduled for October next year, Prof. Peiris said the possibility of the interested parties seeking to put off presidential polls, too, couldn’t be ruled out.
In case President Wickremesinghe wanted to advance the presidential election, the Nidahas Jathika Sabhawa would vote for the required constitutional amendment, Prof. Peiris said. In fact, the genuine Opposition would support the President’s initiative, the former minister said, urging the government to grant the public an opportunity to exercise their franchise.
Responding to media queries, Prof. Peiris said that if President Wickremesinghe genuinely believed the public really appreciated his leadership, the UNP leader shouldn’t hesitate to conduct elections. Pointing out that President’s Wickremesinghe’s distorted assessment on public response to elections indicated his fear of facing the electorate at any level.
Prof. Peiris said that the joint Opposition would work together to pressure the government to conduct the long delayed Provincial Council and Local Government polls.
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
