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JVP accuses Ranil of protecting his benefactors in SLPP by plotting to delay local polls
By Sirimantha Rathnasekera
President Ranil Wickremesinghe is trying to protect his benefactors in the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) by plotting to delay the local council elections, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said yesterday in Colombo.
“I ask Ranil and his stooges not to delay elections. Sri Lanka has a history of postponing elections and the results of this have been tragic,” he said.
The JVP leader said the new local councils should be established by 20 March 2022 as per election laws.
“The Minister earlier extended the tenure of the councils by another year by using his powers. These councils have now existed for five years. Most of the SLPP local councilors cannot face the public. The President is trying to delay the elections. What he should do is the opposite. He should hold elections at all levels,” he said,
Dissanayake said that the SLPP had come to power, promising to end the political career of Ranil Wickremesinghe.
“The SLPP then called Ranil a traitor. However, the SLPP MPs are now propping up Wickremesinghe. This is an abuse of the mandate given to the SLPP. Neither the SLPP nor the United National Party (UNP) has a strong voter base now,” he asserted.
He said the government was pretending that the economic crisis was over and that they were a legitimate government. However, once elections wereheld and the SLPP and the UNP crushed, it would be impossible to maintain this pretence, he said.
Dissanayake said Sri Lankans as well as the international community were aware that the government did not have public support. “This has made finding solutions to the economic crisis of the country impossible.
“No country has come forth to support us. Why would they? They don’t want to lend money or aid to an illegitimate government. The best thing to do is hold elections and allow a legitimate government to take over. The more we wait the harder it will be to overcome the crisis,” he said.
However, the Ranil-Rajapaksa government did not care for the country and was doing everything in their power to cling to power, the JVP leader said.
“They are now trying to postpone the local council elections. The Election Commission has to call for nominations this week. There are rumours that the government will postpone the election after accepting nominations. This will have disastrous consequences for the country. We will be known as a country that doesn’t hold elections,” he said.
Dissanayake said that UNP’s Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and Palitha Range Bandara claimed the government did not have 10 billion rupees for an election.
“They aren’t even MPs. The parliament has control over public finance. The parliament has already allocated the money for the election. So, these stooges must stop their whining. Some government backers claim that an election could wipe the economic gains made over the past few months. What economic gains are they talking about? People are suffering. SMEs will collapse once the electricity tariff is increased in January. Ranil and the clan can’t save the country,” he 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
