News
Pramitha chides SJB over Diana’s National List appointment, declares support for finance bills
State Defence Minister Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon has told Parliament that the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has conveniently forgot that ousted State Minister Diana Gamage was one of its National List MPs.Referring to various statements made by SJB MPs both in and outside parliament, the Matale District lawmaker said that they were talking as if she had been appointed to parliament by the SLPP.
Of the 29 National List slots, the SLPP secured 17 and the SJB seven. The remaining five NL seats were shared one each by five political parties, including the JVP (Dr. Harini Amarasuriya) and UNP (Ranil Wickremesinghe/Vajira Abeywardena)
State Defence Minister Tennakoon tabled a letter dated Aug 12, 2020 sent to the then Chairman of the Election Commission Mahinda Deshapriya signed by SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara, MP. According to that letter, the following had been named as SJB NL members: Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Tissa Attanayake, Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, Eran Wickremaratne, Harin Fernando, Mayantha Dissanayake and Diana Gamage.
Tennakoon said Gamage would have been still in parliament if not for the dispute she had with the SJB. Acknowledging that Diana Gamage served as a State Minister, he emphasised that she worked with the government as an appointed member of the SJB.
MP Tennakoon said that Diana Gamage’s status couldn’t be changed even though the SJB’s narrative tried to erase their involvement. The State Minister commented on the ousted MP during the debate on the Economic Transformation Bill and the Public Financial Management Bill presented to parliament on Wednesday.
Declaring his support for the controversial finance bills, MP Tennakoon urged the Opposition not to mix politics, economics, history and the current developments while underscoring the responsibility on the part of all to recognize what he called a new economic formula.
Declaring that China never mixed politics with economy, the State Minister said that Vietnam pursued capitalist economic policies in a communist environment.
Alleging that various interested parties always played politics with the national economy MP Tennakoon explained how national carrier Sri Lanka had become an unbearable burden on the country. The State Minister pointed out how over a period of time Sri Lankan profitably run by Emirates was allowed to deteriorate to such an extent successive governments today struggled to cope up with its predicament.
MP Tennakoon said that the country had been politically bankrupt a long time before the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government declared financial bankruptcy in March or April 2022.
MP Tennakoon said that whoever was in power the people never allowed politicians and other known figures to work. Those who rendered yeoman service to the country had been humiliated and in some instances forced to leave the country.
Tennakoon said that the son of the person who led the protest campaign against the Kandalama hotel three decades ago now worked for that world class hotel. Various interested parties propagated scare stories. People actually believed that the construction of that hotel would destroy that area, particularly the Kandalama wewa. Today, they had been proved wrong, the MP said. (SF)
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
