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Herath questions significance of SLPP second convention
‘Pact with Ranil makes whole exercise meaningless’
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Dissident SLPP MP Charitha Herath yesterday (14) said that the ruling party would hold its second convention today against the developing crisis that threatened its very existence just eight years after its formation.
The general consensus was that the SLPP was under the thumb of UNP leader and President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Herath said, adding that it was the truth the party did not want to admit, Prof. Peiris said.
Herath said so when The Island asked him how he, as a dissident member of the government, viewed the SLPP’s second convention to be held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium today (15). He compared the SLFP-led 1956 coalition that collapsed in 1959 with the debilitating setback suffered by the SLPP last year. Perhaps, the SLPP should have undertaken a detailed examination of its rapid rise and unprecedented fall within eight years before calling for its second convention, the one-time Media Ministry Secretary said.
Herath is among 12 MPs elected and appointed on the SLPP ticket and National List respectively, who quit the government parliamentary group in July last year. The group included Prof. G.L. Peiris and Dallas Alahapperuma.
Responding to another query, MP Herath said that having secured nearly seven million votes at the last presidential election held in Nov 2019, the SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa failed to capitalise on an excellent opportunity to undertake comprehensive political reforms. Had President Rajapaksa tasked an appropriate team to undertake the project, he wouldn’t have had to face the 2022 public protest campaign that forced him out of office within four months, Prof. Herath said.
Unfortunately, the SLPP for some strange reason still touted 7 mn votes received at the presidential poll and near 2/3 majority secured at the parliamentary election in August 2020, Prof. Herath said. The ground reality is the parliament doesn’t reflect the actual political environment, the MP said, underscoring the irrelevance of the 2019 mandate against the backdrop of the UNP leader exercising the powers of the executive.
Commending Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s 2019 presidential election manifesto, Prof. Herath said that neither the President nor the party at least tried to implement the promises made. Instead, they resorted to strategies that ruined both the government and the country thereby paving the way for Wickremesinghe who couldn’t even retain his Colombo district seat at the last election to gain power, the MP said.
Prof. Herath said that today the SLPP had nothing to offer. Having elected Wickremesinghe as the President, the SLPP, on its own, abolished the right even to talk about the mandates received at 2019 and 2020 national elections. “There is no new narrative, therefore having a second convention is nothing but a meaningless exercise,” Prof. Herath said, asserting that the SLPP was experiencing leadership crisis.
Would the SLPP, too, end up like the UNP and the SLFP, Prof. Herath asked. At the last general election, the UNP was reduced to just one National List MP, whereas the SLFP secured 14 seats out of which only one was elected on the SLFP ticket. That, too, was in Jaffna, the MP said.
The remaining 13, including its leader Maithripala Sirisena entered parliament on the SLPP and today except for a few, others switched their allegiance to Ranil Wickremesinghe, MP Herath said. In spite of boastful claims, the SLPP is in a very bad wicket. A large section of its parliamentary group was most likely to throw its weight behind the UNP leader at the next presidential election, MP Herath said. “The SLPP is aware of that possibility. It doesn’t know how to respond,” Prof. Herath said, drawing public attention to President Wickremesinghe’s refusal to accommodate several SLPP nominees in the cabinet.
The MP said that the SLPP was much weaker after several groups left the parliamentary group. In addition to Prof. Herath’s group, the National Freedom Front (NFF/6 MPs), Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU/1 MP), Yuthukama (1 MP), Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya (1 MP), Democratic Left Front (DLF/1 MP) and four MPs led by Anura Priyadarshana Yapa distanced from the party.
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.
