News
Muslims oppose bid to remerge North and East, Minister tells party leaders
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Environment Minister Nazeer Ahamed told an all-party conference chaired by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, at the Presidential Secretariat, on Tuesday (13), that the Muslims were opposed to the re-merger of the Eastern and Northern Provinces.
The former Chief Minister of the Eastern Province said, responding to several lawmakers, including Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader, Rauf Hakeem, reiterating the urgent need to conduct the Provincial Council polls and the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
The East was merged with the North in terms of the Indo-Lanka Accord, signed in July 1987. The Supreme Court, in a landmark ruling, invalidated the North-East merger, in Oct 2006.
Minister Ahamed recalled how the Muslim community suffered during the time of the merger. Ahamed, who contested the last General Election on the SLMC ticket, accepted the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s offer of the Environment Portfolio, in April this year. The Batticaloa district lawmaker retained the same portfolio when President Ranil Wickremesinghe named his Cabinet in July.
Both Hakeem and Thamil Makkal Thesiya Kutani leader, C.V. Wigneswaran, strongly pressed for the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
Political party sources said that senior representatives discussed issues at hand after Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, and Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, briefed the grouping of ongoing efforts to reach consensus on post-war national reconciliation. Sabry has emphasized that recommendations meant at reconciliation should be in line with the Constitution whereas Rajapakse explained the progress in the payment of compensation et al. The gathering was also briefed of the moves to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) with a new security law acceptable to all.
Responding to The Island, sources said that the economic crisis hadn’t been addressed at this confab where President Wickremesinghe sought the views of political parties, represented in Parliament, regarding the national issue.
The JVP skipped the meeting. Among the notable absentees were Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila of Uththara Lanka Sabhagaya, while Prof. G. L. Peiris represented Nidahas Lanka Sabhawa. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and several other MPs, including R. Sampanthan and M.A. Sumanthiran, were present.
Leader of civil society group, Yuthukama, Gevindu Cumaratunga, MP, has pointed out how those who had been demanding Provincial Council polls intentionally threw their weight behind the Yahapalana project to indefinitely put off the PC elections.
Reiterating his long standing opposition to PCs that had been introduced, via the 13th Amendment to the Constitution that was literally forced on Sri Lanka, along with the Indo-Lanka Accord of July 1987, rebel SLPP National List MP who has aligned with Uththara Lanka Sabhagaya, said they feared to face the electorate at that time.
Referring to the constant demand for devolution of powers and special status to the Northern and Eastern Provinces, lawmaker Cumaratunga expressed concern over denial of students the right to study law in Sinhala and Tamil.
The outspoken MP has also raised the contentious issue of President Wickremesinghe holding the Finance portfolio, in addition to Defence and a couple of other subjects, pending new Cabinet appointments. Referring to the discussions, chaired by Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Premier a couple of months ago, MP Cumaratunga said that some asserted that the President shouldn’t hold ministerial portfolios. But, some including the Yuthukama representative, felt the President should hold the Defence portfolio. MP Cumaratunga said that having reached some sort of consensus on the matter during talks on the 22nd Amendment, the President now held the vital Finance portfolio, a move that was contrary to the promise to strengthen Parliament.
Referring to the Supreme Court ruling that the President couldn’t be deprived of holding ministerial portfolios, without that action being sanctioned at a referendum, MP Cumaratunga said that ruling didn’t prevent the President from giving up ministerial portfolios.
SJB MP Patali Champika Ranawaka explained that the executive could address some of the issues raised by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). The leader of the 43 Brigade said that problems relating to land, compensation and disappearances could be dealt with by the executive. However, the devolution of power should be addressed by the Parliament, the former Minister 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
