News
Pressure mounts on PM to quit as Prez reneges on promise to resign on 13 July
President’s resignation letter received
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Speaker’s Office announced last night that it had received President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s letter of resignation.Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s Office has said that at a party leaders’ meeting held on Thursday evening members called for the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is now Acting for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Speaker Abeywardena chaired the meeting at the parliamentary complex, where the military top brass and the IGP briefed the members on the rapidly deteriorating situation in the country. The Island learns that they told lawmakers their inability to thwart the large body of protesters under present circumstances.According to the Speaker’s Office, members of the Parliamentary Business Committee and party leaders were of the view that Premier Wickremesinghe should quit to facilitate the immediate restoration of normalcy. As soon as Wickremesinghe quit the premiership, he would lose the post of Acting President.Lawmakers who attended the meeting as JVP supporters clashed with the police a little distance away from the parliament told The Island even at that time President Gotabaya Rajapaksa hadn’t delivered his letter of resignation as repeatedly promised. Speaker Abeywardena has twice announced that he received an assurance from President Rajapaksa that he will quit before midnight on 13 July.
Among those who attended the meeting chaired by the Speaker were Maithripala Sirisena (SLFP), Lakshman Kiriella (SJB), Anura Kumara Dissanayake (JVP), Mano Ganesan (Democratic People’s Front), Vasudeva Nanayakkara (Democratic Left Front), Weerasumana Weerasinghe (Communist Party), Douglas Devananda (EPDP), Gayantha Karunatilleke (SJB), Ranjith Madduma Bandara (SJB), Angajan Ramanathan (SLFP), Gevindu Cumaratunga (civil society group Yuthukama), Rauff Hakeem (SLMC), V. Radhakrishnan (Up country People’s Front), Udaya Gammanpila (Pivithuru Hela Urumaya), Ven. Athureliye Rathana (Our Power of People’s Party ), M. A. Sumanthiran (Illankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi) and Prof. Tissa Vitharana (LSSP).
The largest single party in parliament the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) refrained from attending the meeting.A senior spokesperson for SLPP told The Island that they felt the meeting should have been called after the Speaker received President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s letter of resignation, which, he said, was most likely to be received later on Thursday (14) for the Speaker to activate what he called constitutional process.
Some of those who participated at the Speaker’s meeting subsequently issued a separate statement warning that the crisis would worsen, paving the way for foreign military intervention, unless it was contained expeditiously. They appealed to all stakeholders including the protesters to prevent interested parties from turning Sri Lanka into a Libya in South Asia.
The group faulted PM Wickremesinghe for the latest flare-up due to his refusal to resign as requested unanimously by political party leaders’ following a meeting chaired by Speaker Abeywardena on July 09.
The appeal was made in the wake of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declaring his intention to quit soon after protesters brought the President’s House and the Presidential Secretariat under their control.
The following MPs have signed the statement demanding the immediate resignation of Premier Wickremesinghe: “Ven. Athureliye Rathana, Wimal Weerawansa, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Udaya Gammanpila, Prof. Tissa Vitharana, A.L.M. Athaulla, Asanka Nawaratne, Gevindu Kumaratunga and Premanath Dolawatta. In addition to those lawmakers, Dr. D. Weerasinghe has represented the Communist Party.
The Speaker has met selected group of MPs amidst the JVP calling for bringing the Parliament under their control. Former JVP lawmaker Bimal Ratnayake leading the protest against the Parliament declared that their victory over the Rajapaksas dictatorship wouldn’t be complete unless they secured the House. However, the police backed by the military thwarted the JVP led attempt after both sides suffered injuries.
The group said that disruption of Parliament would seriously hinder the proposed vote on a new President scheduled for coming Wednesday (20). One of the participants pointed out that the protesters move on the parliament would only benefit those somehow trying to continue with the existing set up.
Meanwhile, protesters made a joint declaration yesterday that they would vacate all government buildings they had occupied since 09 July.Meanwhile, Army headquarters alleged that some of those who tried to force their way into the parliamentary complex had attacked troops and police with clubs, iron rods, stones, helmets, etc., and snatched two T-56 assault rifles with ammunition and caused injuries to a dozen personnel. Two seriously wounded men had been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital and the Colombo Army Hospital for emergency treatment.
Army headquarters said that some of the attackers had been apprehended. The Army has warned the protesters that they would have to face the consequences if similar tactics were adopted and tangible measures were to be taken to protect the lives and public and personal property.
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
