News
GL questions President’s stand on Oversight Committees
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Pointing out the way the President’s Office offhandedly rejected a report issued by the Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on National Security against the privatization of Sri Lanka Telecom, top SLPP rebel spokesman Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday (19) questioned the very basis of the role of the Oversight Committees if they were treated that way.
SOC, headed by retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, tabled its report in Parliament on 09 June.
Addressing the media at the SLPP office at Nawala, the former External Affairs Minister pointed out how President Ranil Wickremesinghe had disregarded the conclusions made by the vital committee while extolling the importance of the SOC system and the youth participation in them.
Prof. Peiris said that it would be a grave mistake for the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government to think privatisation would be the panacea for the current economic crisis.
Prof. Peiris warned of further deterioration of the ground situation, once the restructuring of domestic debt got underway later this month, in line with an agreement with the IMF.
Prof. Peiris alleged that the proposed Anti-Corruption laws and the Broadcasting Regulatory Commission bill were intended to suppress dissent. Declaring that certain provisions in the Anti-Corruption bill were meant to discourage whistle-blowers, the National List MP claimed that the government seemed to be preparing the ground for robber barons.
Commenting on the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Commission sessions scheduled to begin on Monday (19), Prof. Peiris said that the UN body would definitely look into the recent happenings in Sri Lanka. According to him, the Geneva body would react to suppression of media freedom and other obstacles placed by the government as part of its overall defence against public protests.
“Once domestic restructuring gets underway, countrywide public protests will erupt,” Prof. Peiris predicted, asserting that the Opposition would seek the intervention of the Supreme Court to thwart enactment of a Bill, titled Broadcasting Regulatory Commission.
Citing the Supreme Court ruling, dated 05 May, 1997, given during Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s tenure as the President in respect of a Bill very much similar to the ones proposed by the incumbent government, Prof. Peiris explained why they were confident the current SC would block the relevant Bill.
The bottom line is that the Parliament couldn’t enact a law contrary to the Constitution, the former Minister said, recalling the Supreme Court objecting to one-third of the Bill, titled Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
Prof. Peiris said that the Bill, examined by the Supreme Court in 1997 and the one expected to be tabled in Parliament soon, were similar the ruling that the earlier Bill couldn’t be implemented even with a 2/3 majority and should be subjected to a referendum applied in the current context, too, the MP said.
Prof. Peiris especially referred to the large number parate executions carried out by banks to recover bad loans to highlight the plight of small scale businessmen. Declaring that the print media carried an unusual number of parate execution notices in the recent past, Prof. Peiris urged the government to review the situation and take appropriate measures to consolidate the economy or face the consequences.
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
