News
Prez assured Cabinet MCC won’t be signed – Wimal
…AG’s opinion pending
By Shamindra Ferdinando
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had assured the Cabinet of ministers that his government wouldn’t sign the MCC (Millennium Challenge Corporation) agreement, National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa yesterday (29) said. The Cabinet had received that assurance before US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo arrival in Colombo on Tuesday, 27, he added.
Addressing the media at the NFF party office at Pitakotte, Minister Weerawansa said the issue had been discussed at length at the Cabinet before the arrival of Secretary of State Pompeo.
Weerawansa said the NFF wouldn’t remain in the govenrment if it signed MMC agreement, which he said, was detrimential to Sri Lanka’s interests.
Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC, is yet to give his opinion on the MCC though the government-appointed Prof. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan’s Committee strongly recommended that Sri Lanka reject the proposed agreement in its current form.
The Attorney General’s Department refrained from giving its opinion to the Gunaruwan Committee in spite of a request made through the Prime Minister’s Office, The Island learns.
The NFF group in the SLPP parliamentary group consists of six lawmakers, including one National List MP Mohammed Muzammil, who was present at yesterday’s briefing.
Referring to India and US signed pact finalized on Tuesday (27) to share ‘geospatial intelligence’, paving the way for deeper military cooperation between the two countries, Minister Weerawansa claimed that India seemed to be under far stronger US pressure than Sri Lanka. Foreign media reported the agreement would provide India’s armed forces access to data from U.S. military satellites to facilitate targeting and navigation.
Colombo District MP appreciated President Gotabaya Rajapaksas’s declaration, in his talks with the US official that Sri Lanka wouldn’t compromise independence and sovereignty and remained neutral and non-aligned in its foreign policy.
Minister Weerawansa said that soon after the US announced Pompeo’s visit in the wake of the high profile meeting the President had with the top Chinese delegation, Sajith Premadasa’s SJB, the JVP and politically bankrupt UNP launched a campaign over Pompeo’s visit. They used both mainstream and social media to convince the public Pompeo was here to sign both MCC and SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement), MP Weerawansa said. They campaigned on the premise that the signing of MCC and SOFA was to take place secretly.
The NFF leader said those who had been propagating lies were all members of the UNP-led yahapalana administration that invited the then US Secretary of State John Kerry. Lawmaker Weerawansa alleged that they didn’t utter a word. Instead, they welcomed Kerry in May 2015. None of them could remember, the yahapalana government entered into ACSA (Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement) in the first week of August 2017, minister Weerawansa said.
Minister Weerawansa pointed out in spite of the controversial agreement; the JVP remained strongly aligned with the UNP-led administration throughout.
In the run-up to the last presidential election, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, in response to The Island query at Temple Trees media briefing said that the MCC would be signed.
Minister Weerawansa said that if not for the change of government last November, the UNP would have certainly finalized the MCC by now. The minister pointed out that the previous government also discussed SOFA with the US and was busy making preparations for the finalization of MCC when the parliament was dissolved.
Pompeo was previously scheduled to visit Colombo in June 2019 ahead of the last presidential election.
Responding to another query, Minister Weerawansa said that the SJB, the JVP and the UNP obviously prayed for the US to pressure Sri Lanka over MCC and SOFA. The NFF leader said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa had the strength to face international pressure and unlike the treacherous previous UNP-led government remained committed to non-aligned foreign policy.
Minister Weerawansa said that the government was pursuing transparent foreign policy. Both the President and the Foreign Minister, in no uncertain terms reiterated Sri Lanka’s stand during the US Secretary of State’s visit. The minister said that the Opposition appeared to have really believed the government was to align with the US led coalition against China.
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
