News
Opp. warns of govt. bid to dilute Anti-Corruption Bill
Justice Minister and Leader of House differ, accusations directed at BR
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Dissident SLPP MPs yesterday (17) alleged that the ruling SLPP was likely to try to dilute the Anti-Corruption Bill at the committee stage tomorrow (19). SLPP MP Gevindu Cumaratunga said so when The Island asked whether the Opposition was confident that Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, wouldn’t permit SLPP amendments that were contrary to the Bill approved by Parliament without a division on 06 July.
Cumaratunga, the leader of Yuthukama civil society group, said that Justice Minister Rajapakse had taken a principled stand when Leader of the House and Education Minister Susil Premjayantha on behalf of the SLPP ought to prevent Parliament taking a decision on the vital Bill, which had been cleared by the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms, chaired by Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakse on 22 June.
Minister Premjayantha was flanked by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga.MP Cumaratunga said that Minister Rajapakse had accommodated Committee Stage amendments to the Bill, proposed by the Opposition.
The MP said that the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Just and Law-Abiding Society, chaired by W. D. J. Seneviratne, MP, discussed the Bill at length on 05 July, on the first day of the debate on the Bill. The Committee Stage Amendments incorporated were examined by the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Just and Law-Abiding Society.
“We believed that following the Second Reading of the Anti-Corruption Bill on the following day, 06 July, it could be passed unanimously as all political parties, represented in Parliament, repeatedly assured their commitment to an all-out drive against corruption,” he said.
Against that background, the Opposition was quite distraught when the Leader of the House made an unexpected move to block the Bill, claiming the SLPP wanted to further improve it, MP Cumaratunga said.
The SLPP would probably could have stymied the Bill if not for the strong stand taken by the Opposition, with Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa seeking an explanation from the Minister in charge of the subject, Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, to state his position.
Minister Rajapakse declared that having toiled for over 10 months to finalize the Bill he didn’t see as to why it should be put off again. The one-time President of the Bar Association said that he had never worked so hard to prepare a Bill. Having compared the Anti-Corruption Bill and the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, enacted in last October, Minister Rajapaksa declared that the former posed quite a challenge.
MP Cumaratunga said that following the Justice Minister’s declaration, the Leader of the House accepted the Opposition proposal to pass pending the Committee Stage on 19 July.Both Sajith Premadasa and Rajitha Senaratne questioned whether SLPP de facto Chief Basil Rajapaksa was behind this move. Referring to the now disrupted move to restore Local Government bodies at the behest of Basil Rajapaksa, through the intervention of Parliament, Opposition Leader Premadasa asked whether the former Finance Minister wanted to sabotage the Anti-Corruption Bill.
Dr. Senaratne advised Premajayantha not to take up such contracts as the Bill was the responsibility of the Justice Minister.SLPP MP Chandima Jayakody alleged that the ruling party was in the process of ‘killing’ the remaining investigations, handled by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
During a heated argument between Premjayantha and Communist Party MP Weerasumana Weerasinghe, the former said that the CP man, as a newcomer to the Parliament, was not aware of how proceedings dragged on. Lawmaker Weerasinghe hit back hard questioning the integrity of those who represented Parliament for a period of over two decades.
MP Cumaratunga questioned the need for the SLPP to propose further amendments after the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Bill. Pointing out that there were nearly 60 amendments that consensus had been reached, following deliberations, MP Cumaratunga warned of dire consequences if the SLPP sought to present amendments not vetted.
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
