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GL mocks President’s claim of presiding over only country in Asia where democracy is completely safeguarded
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Dissident SLPP MP Prof. G. L. Peiris recently questioned President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s declaration that Sri Lanka was the only country in Asia where democracy is completely safeguarded, thereby Opposition rights guaranteed.
Nothing could be further from the truth, the former External Affairs Minister told a gathering at the launch of ‘Ira Kaluwara’ by another rebel SLPP lawmaker Wasantha Yapa Bandara in Kandy over the weekend.
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, SLPP MP Dilan Perera and SJB MP Kavinda Jayawardena were among the invitees.
Having indefinitely put off Local Government polls that were to be held in late March last year, regardless of the intervention made by the Supreme Court, President Wickremesinghe was making a deliberate attempt to deceive the people, the former Law Professor at the Colombo University charged.
Prof. Peiris was commenting on President Wickremesinghe’s address at the opening session of the inaugural National Student Parliament at the Presidential Secretariat.
Prof. Peiris pointed out that President Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister, went to the extent of directing Finance Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana to submit an affidavit to the Supreme Court underscoring the extreme difficulty the country was facing in allocating money for the Local Government polls due to the continuing economic crisis. “Under the UNP leader’s watch we are now the only country in Asia to have put off elections,” the National List MP said.
In addition, the UNP leader also obtained the consent of the cabinet to bar government officials from releasing funds required to conduct elections (Local Government or any other) without specific written approval from the Finance Minister, Prof. Peiris reminded the gathering.
Having dealt a massive blow to democracy, the UNP leader was exploring ways and means of legitimizing his wholly undemocratic and dictatorial actions with the SLPP that couldn’t depend on mandates received at the 2019 and 2020 presidential and parliamentary polls, respectively, Prof. Peiris said.
Appreciating the services rendered to the genuine Opposition and the people by MP Wasantha Yapa Bandara, first-time entrant to parliamentary politics, Prof. Peiris said that contrary to President Wickremesinghe’s big boasts, the country was in severe economic difficulties. The actual situation is very much contrary to President Wickremesinghe’s claims, Prof. Peiris said, raising objections to what he called authoritarian measures to suppress Opposition.
Prof. Peiris said that UNP leader Wickremesinghe given an opportunity to run the country against the backdrop of his failure to win at least one seat at the last parliamentary polls conducted in August 2020 underscored the crisis the country was experiencing. The UNP could secure only one National List slot out of 29 and was in a desperate situation when an unprecedented crisis gave him an opportunity to take advantage of the situation, Prof. Peiris went on to say.
The former minister also found fault with President Wickremesinghe and the President’s Media Division (PMD) for repeated assurances given on the forthcoming presidential election. Such assurances caused concerns among the Opposition and people as there was absolutely no need for them to say so, Prof. Peiris said, reiterating that the responsibility for conducting presidential polls rested with the Election Commission.
Referring to a recently released World Bank report, Prof. Peiris said that though the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government sought to paint a rosy picture, the lending body revealed Sri Lanka’s real status regarding poverty, unemployment and malnutrition among children.
The former Minister said that the issue at hand is the government’s insensitivity to the developing economic and social crises. Prof. Peiris said that discontinuation of electricity to over 900,000 consumers last year and the unprecedented deterioration of public sector health services against the backdrop of health minister Keheliya Rambukwella remanded on corruption charges pertaining to procurement of counterfeit lifesaving drugs required by cancer patients and others.
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
