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PAFFREL: Ranil offers to strengthen PCs, having postponed elections to them
By Rathindra Kuruwita
It was ironic to see President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who had done everything in his power to postpone provincial council polls indefinitely, pledging to strengthen the same councils, in his policy statement presented to Parliament on 07 January, Executive Director of People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), Rohana Hettiarachchi told The Island yesterday (09).
In the policy statement, President Wickremesinghe said “efforts are underway to bolster the economies of all nine provinces, with delegated powers related to sectors like vocational education and agriculture given to provincial councils under the third list of provincial council powers in the Constitution. This decentralization aims to accelerate economic growth in each province, fostering healthy economic competition among them.”
Hettiarachchi said that a few days earlier the Cabinet-of-Ministers agreed to allocate 10 billion rupees for both the presidential and general elections. The Cabinet also said “those provisions have to be managed for covering the expenditure of the presidential election and general election.
“So the government decides on when to hold elections and sets the financial parameters that they should be held. Deciding on when to hold elections is not the responsibility of the executive.”
Hettiarachchi said that putting a cap on expenses for holding an election has several negative impacts. The Elections Commission is entrusted with holding free and fair elections and this endeavour is a costly one.
“The Commission needs adequate staff; they have to train a large number of people; the Commission needs the support of the police and that alone costs a few billion rupees. The Commission also pays a lot of money to the Ceylon Electricity Board, the postal department and the government printer. So, out of that 10 billion allocation, a significant amount of money goes back to various government institutions.”
Hettiarachchi said Artificial Intelligence could be used in the coming elections for political campaigns. Social media will be rife with misinformation, misinterpretations and fake news.
“The Elections Commission will need to invest in new technologies, and they will need the services of many experts. Also, don’t forget that the next election would be held under a campaign finance law. The Commission needs to establish a monitoring mechanism for this and that will also entail additional expenditure. What will happen if the Elections Commission has to cut down on the above mentioned expenses?” he asked.
Hettiarachchi said that the Cabinet decision also shows that the government has no plans to hold provincial or local council elections in 2024. Those are two elections that should be held before the presidential or general elections.
“If those in power care about the people’s franchise they should have held the local council election in 2023. They should have held provincial council elections in 2017.”
Hettiarachchi said that an amendment to the laws that govern provincial councils, brought during the Yahapalana administration, is a reason why the country has not been able to hold provincial council elections. Ranil Wickremesinghe was the Prime Minister of that government, too.
“Now the powers of the provincial councils are wielded by the governor who is appointed by the President. This is why the promise to increase the powers of provincial councils, made during the policy statement on Wednesday, is absurd.”
Hettiarachchi said the Elections Commission is already taking necessary steps to hold any election in 2024. The voter registry is already being updated.
“Police and other state institutions must support the Elections Commission during an election. This is in the Constitution. Not extending the necessary assistance to the Commission is a punishable act. Even the President is bound by the constitution to support the Elections Commission.”
The PAFFREL Executive Director said that recently he came across two interesting circulars. One was issued on 24 January 2024 by the Presidential Secretariat. There is another issued on 29 December 2023 by the Finance Ministry. Both are institutions under President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
“The circular in December says that projects approved by the 2024 Budget must be completed by 31 July 2024. The one in January is about an initiative called ‘Kandukara Dashakaya,’ which is a 10-year plan on rural development. It also says that all initiatives, under this programme for 2024, must be completed by 31 July 2024. I have never seen such circulars before. What is going on here? On one hand, it’s an indication that the government is getting ready for an election. The other is that, if the presidential election is to be held before 17 October, the electoral process must start in July. It’s obvious that the government is trying to finish these projects by July end to get an advantage,” 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
