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President’s speech on LG elections 85% false – Polls monitors
By Rathindra Kuruwita
At least 85 percent of the speech President Ranil Wickremesinghe made in Parliament on the local council elections, on Thursday, was misleading and it was an attempt to influence the courts, Sri Lankan election monitors said yesterday.
D. M. Dissanayake, Head of Operation at the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) said the Elections Commission had taken steps to hold elections on 09 March, as per the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance (Chapter 262). By stating that the Commission had not acted properly, the President had shown his ignorance, Dissanayake added.
On Thursday, addressing the Parliament, President Wickremesinghe said the Election Commission had not taken an official decision on a date to hold the local council polls.
“According to the provisions of the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, it is the returning officers, of each district, that announce the election. They do so after accepting nominations. This time as well, the returning officers announced that the elections will be held on 09 March by issuing gazettes. It is obvious that the President has gone before Parliament and made a lot of false statements. This is a serious matter,” he said.
Dissanayake said that while the President had sought to mislead the people and there was nothing anyone can do because he had legal immunity. “He made this speech in parliament. So, automatically, he is protected by parliamentary privileges. Moreover, after the 19th Amendment, we can only file fundamental rights cases against the President. He is shielded despite the serious nature of his speech,” he said.
The President mentioned that on 14 December, 2022, he had summoned the Election Commission and informed them that this election can’t be held due to the economic situation of the country. Wickremesinghe added that he had met the EC again with the Attorney General on 05 January, 2023.
Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES), Manjula Gajanayake, said that both these meetings had been called by the President to intimidate the members of the Elections Commission.
“The President also brings in the AG for one of these meetings and he really tried to see whether the commissioners were divided. They were not friendly chitchats. The responsibility of the Elections Commission is to hold elections and it is also the responsibility of the President to do, according to our Constitution,” he said.
The President also mentioned that the Elections Commission should have asked Parliament for money to hold elections as finances is the responsibility of the Parliament. However, there is no mechanism or precedence for the Commission to approach Parliament, Gajanayake said.
“The Constitution says the President must facilitate elections, but during the past few months, Wickremesinghe had done everything in his power to obstruct elections,” 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
