News
Prez ignores Sajith’s last-minute move, appoints Ranil PM
By Saman Indrajith
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday (12) went ahead with his original plan to swear in UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as new Premier despite SJB leader Sajith Premadasa’s last-minute offer to accept the post.
Soon after the President’s Office confirmed the decision to swear in Wickremesinghe, Premadasa, who is also the Opposition Leader, dispatched a letter to President Rajapaksa.
Addressing the media soon afterwards, Premadasa said that following the President’s address to the nation on Wednesday, he had felt the need to drop his earlier demand for President Rajapaksa’s resignation for him to accept the premiership.
Wickremesinghe, who is the only UNP MP in the Parliament, has held the premiership on five previous occasions.
SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara told the media that members of his party wouldn’t switch allegiance to the new administration.
Wickremesinghe was sworn in before President Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.
It was the sixth time Wickremesinghe was appointed the PM.
Wickremesinghe is to establish a new government and select a new Cabinet of Ministers from several political parties today and address the nation thereafter to reveal his plans to resolve the prevailing crises.
Political sources said that the President and the UNP leader would work together to secure the backing of political parties to stabilise the economy, and they were confident a consensus could be reached before the Parliament meets again on 17 May.
Having received blessings at the Walukaramaya, Colombo, Premier Wickremesinhe assured the media that he would work hard towards resolving the crises urgently.
Wickremesinghe said that his intention was to help those struggling to make ends meet to have three meals a day.
Wickremesinghe’s appointment was slammed by Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith and several members of Maha Sangha including Ven Omalpe Sobitha thera.
“This is not the change the country was looking for,” Cardinal said, adding that Wickremesinghe’s appointment to the post of Prime Minister could not be accepted.
“Wickremesinghe is only one representative of Parliament and he does not command the majority in Parliament. This appointment is not legal and this is not the solution that the people in this country want at the moment,” he said.
The Cardinal said the people want a person with reputed integrity and not a person who has been defeated in politics, and who has been thrown out of power by the people.
He also said the people want a person who can win the confidence of all the people.
“The Mahanayake Theros suggest a non-partisan person. What has happened to that suggestion is everybody’s guess. We would like to reiterate that is it necessary for us to move forward from the present crisis with confidence into the future, we need a complete change of this system. And that can happen not through the leaders of the present parliament parties,” he said.
The Cardinal said that it can only happen with someone who is not a partisan person, who can win the confidence of all the citizens of this country.
‘The Mahanayake Theros made that request to the President and we expect the President to honor that request, and to respect the voice of the clergy,’ he said.
Chief Sanghanayake (Dakshina Lankawa) of the Ramanna Nikaya, Ven Omalpe Sobitha Thera said that the appointment of Wickremesinghe to the vacant post of Prime Minister is ‘against due process, unconstitutional, and unethical.’
Thera said that Wickremesinghe is not suitable to be appointed to the post of Prime Minister.
“The people are asking for one thing, but are being offered something completely different,” said Sobhitha Thera, adding the Mahanayake Theras have made a clear directive with respect to the appointment of a new administration.
He said the appointment of Wickremesinghe would be seen as a direct disregard of the directive.
“The entire country is aware that Ranil Wickremesinghe is not a leader who has won the hearts of the people,” Ven Thera said.
He is a National List MP and is not a leader who can realize the aspirations of the people, said Sobhitha Thera, adding that Wickremesinghe is being appointed for some other personal reason, and not because the people want him as the PM.
“This is a decision being made for the sole protection of the Rajapaksas.”
He said that one person is being given power by breaking away MPs from other parties, sometimes forcibly or by offering them money.
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
