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Passage of 22A: Jayasumana asks Speaker to remove dual citizens from Parliament
Ex-Speaker KJ says laws of the land should be applied across the board
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Prof. Channa Jayasumana, MP, says Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena should take tangible measures to remove all dual citizens from Parliament.The Anuradhapura District rebel SLPP MP has asserted that nearly a dozen dual citizens remain in Parliament, though Basil Rajapaksa no longer serves as a member of Parliament. The then President Gotabaya, Rajapaksa in April, this year, dropped Basil Rajapaksa from the Cabinet of Ministers.Now that Parliament has overwhelmingly approved the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, it will be the Speaker’s responsibility to ensure the removal of dual citizens, unless they resigned, voluntarily, or gave up their respective foreign nationalities, Prof. Jayasumana argues.
The Parliament ratified the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, with a two-thirds majority, on Oct 21. of the 225 MPs, 174 members voted for the new law, while SLPP MP Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera voted against the 22nd Amendment. The 22nd Amendment, that reactivated key provisions in the 19th Amendment had to be implemented across the board, lawmaker Jayasumana said.
Responding to The Island queries, MP Jayasumana said that he would take up this issue with Speaker Abeywardena. The former State and Cabinet Minister said that he would write to the Speaker, in this regard, within the next few days. The Speaker couldn’t absolve himself of the responsibility of ensuring all members of Parliament complied with the provision on dual citizenship, MP Jayasumana said.
Commenting on Dr. Prathibha Mahanamahewa’s assertion that the Supreme Court should be consulted, regarding the fate of the remaining members of Parliament, MP Jayasumana said that at the time of the last parliamentary poll, in August 2020, the 19th Amendment was in place. Therefore, there couldn’t be any issue regarding their removal, Prof. Jayasumana said. “In fact, they shouldn’t have contested the last parliamentary poll as the 19th Amendment, enacted in 2015, expressly prohibited dual citizens contesting parliamentary, or presidential polls. Actually, they should be dealt with for not declaring their status as dual citizens,” lawmaker Jayasumana said.
MP Jayasumana recalled how Galle District MP Geetha Kumarasinghe had been deprived of her parliamentary seat, in early 2017, on the basis of the 19th Amendment. The former actress renounced her Swiss nationality to pave the way for her to re-contest the general election, on the SLPP ticket.
There could be dual citizens among those who voted for the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, as well among the absentees, Prof. Jayasumana said. The MP declined to name the dual citizens in Parliament. The MP pointed out that Basil Rajapaksa had re-entered Parliament, in June 2021, after the enactment of the 20th Amendment, in Oct 2020.Prof. Jayasumana said political parties should have paid attention to the provision on dual citizenship, after the enactment of the 19th Amendment.
Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday told The Island that laws of the land should be applied to all. Therefore, there was no harm in checking the status of all MPs, consequent to the passage of the 22nd Amendment. Jayasuriya said that during his tenure as the Speaker there hadn’t been dual citizens in Parliament apart from to Geetha Kumarasinghe, who lost her seat following a court ruling.
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
