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Lawyers’ Collective expresses concern over Commission of Inquiry on Electoral Process
The Lawyers’ Collective in a release yesterday expressed its profound concern about President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent appointment of a Commission of Inquiry, with retired Chief Justice Priyasath Dep PC as its chair. This commission’s mandate is to examine all existing election laws and regulations, ostensibly “to suit current needs” and make necessary recommendations for their amendment.
The Lawyers Collective highlights that, according to the Constitution, the Elections Commission is already mandated to issue guidelines to the media and political parties for the proper conduct of elections. It has also prepared numerous reports on many of the matters outlined in the Gazette Notification. The notice published in the Gazette outlines several objectives, many of which fall within the purview of the Elections Commission, the constitutionally mandated body responsible for ensuring the conduct of free and fair elections.
This has led to concerns about the motives behind the Commission’s appointment. The ostensible objectives of this Commission of Inquiry include: • Formulating an electoral system that blends the first-past-the-post system and the proportional representation system. • Increasing representation for women and youth. • Reducing the time between the declaration of an election and the release of results. • Exploring opportunities for electronic voting. • Facilitating voting for Sri Lankans overseas. • Expanding the use of postal voting. The notification also charges the Commission with making recommendations for the formulation of media standards for the appropriate use of media by political parties and independent groups and introducing a code of conduct for political parties, independent groups, and their membership in performing political and public affairs.
Additionally, the Commission is tasked with suggesting ways to strengthen laws and regulations related to the registration and operations of political parties, ensuring public trust and accountability. The Lawyers’ Collective notes with deep concern that the notification specifically calls on the Commission to explore the possibility of allowing an individual to contest two elections for the selection of people’s representatives and to hold positions in both institutions simultaneously if elected. The Collective is of the view that such a provision completely undermines the electoral process in a democracy.
The Lawyers Collective underscores that the Commission of Inquiry has been appointed without any prior consultation, even with recognized political parties in Parliament. While electoral reforms are indeed imperative, we know that there have been Select Committees and other entities previously appointed to make recommendations to change the system. No action has been taken on these proposals for decades. The Lawyers’ Collective is very concerned about the timing of this particular proposal. There is an apprehension that these appointments might be intended to stall the electoral process in the country, especially when, according to the Constitution, the Presidential Election is just 11 months away and is set to be conducted between September and October 2024.
The Lawyers’ Collective also notes that, prior to the President withholding funds for the Local Authorities Elections, the Prime Minister appointed a purported delimitation committee, ostensibly to reform the electoral process for Local Authorities. Following this and despite a specific order of the Supreme Court preventing the treasury from withholding the funds for the holding of the Local Elections, the President and the Government continues to withhold funds for the election. In light of the above considerations the Lawyers’ Collective calls upon the President not to use this Commission as a pretext to delay constitutionally mandated electoral processes. It also calls on the President to ensure that by legal design and for political advantage there is no further interference with elections and democracy at large.
The statement has been signed by Rienzie Arsecularatne PC, Prof Savitri Goonesekere, Upul Jayasuriya PC, Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne PC, Geoffrey Alagaratnam PC, Dinal Phillips PC, M.M. Zuhair PC, Anura Meddegoda PC, Saliya Pieris PC, S.T. Jayanaga PC, Prof Camena Guneratne, Upul Kumarapperuma AAL, K.W. Janaranjana AAL, Srinath Perera AAL, Ermiza Tegal AAL and Manoj Nanayakkara AAL.
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.
