News
Prez-PM battle no excuse for intelligence failure – GL
… ex-spy chief cited to prove futility of political partnerships
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Chief Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena’s testimony before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the Easter Sunday carnage had shown why the President and the Prime Minister should not be elected from two different parties, SLPP Chairman, Prof. G.L. Peiris, told The Island.
Prof. Peiris, who heads the SLPP National List said that former spy chief Jayawardena hadn’t shied away from pointing out how a dispute between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had placed the SIS in an extremely difficult situation at the onset of yahapalana administration in January 2015.
The former External Affairs Minister was commenting on Jayawardena’s testimony on Monday (27).
Jayawardena, who had been in the staff of Director General, Intelligence the late Cyril Herath succeeded Senior DIG C.N. Wakista.
Jayawardena, faulted for failure to thwart the Easter Sunday carnage by a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) in Oct 2019 explained to PCoI how his outfit struggled to cope with UNP-SLFP coalition in the run-up to a spate of near simultaneous suicide bombings.
Prof. Peiris said that the breakaway UNP faction, the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) readiness to serve a government under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa should be examined against the backdrop of Jayawardena’s assertion.
Having repeatedly warned of a dictatorship in case Gotabaya Rajapaksa won 2019 presidential election, its leader Sajith Premadasa on several occasions declared his readiness to serve as the Premier under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prof. Peiris said.
The UNP couldn’t work with Maithripala Sirisena, in spite of him being installed in the Office of the President by the UNP. A devastating political crisis destabilised the much touted yahapalana administration within weeks after 2015 presidential poll. It would be silly even to think about President Gotabaya Rajapaksa having to invite the SJB leader to form the next government, Prof. Peiris said, warning the UNP and SJB to expect debilitating defeat at the Aug 5 presidential poll.
Responding to another query, Prof. Peiris emphasized that whatever the political complications caused by what he called a disastrous arrangement at that time, the then SIS Chief couldn’t justify their failure to thwart the murderous Thowheed Jamaat project. There was no doubt the political leadership failed, the former minister said, adding that those who allowed the terror project to go ahead by negligence couldn’t solely blame it on the President-Premier battle.
Describing the beleaguered ex-spy chief as a yahapalana insider, Prof. Peiris alleged that those who had served the previous government sought to side step the key issue.
The issue at hand is why law enforcement authorities refrained from taking tangible measures in spite of having actionable intelligence from a friendly country, Prof. Peiris said.
At the time Thowheed Jamaat struck Commander-in-Chief President Sirisena, in addition to defence he also held the law and order portfolio.
Prof. Peiris said that political rifts couldn’t be allowed to jeopardize national security. Former SIS head’s testimony coupled with that of former presidential secretary P.B. Abeykoon’s exposure showed how the previous administration handled post-war national security, Prof. Peiris said.
Terrorists could have achieved their objectives without much difficulty due to ‘security services’ playing politics, he said.
Nilantha Jayawardena received appointment as SIS Chief in March 2015. At that time he was called by the then IGP N.K. Illankagoon to take over SIS, he was in charge of the Kankesanthurai Division in the Jaffna peninsula.
Prof. Peiris said that the disastrous handling of security/intelligence apparatus leading to the Easter Sunday carnage exposed those who were at the helm of defence apparatus.
Jayawardena received promotion to the rank of Senior DIG with effect from Feb 28, 2019, with the approval of the National Police Commission (NPC).
In the wake of the 2019 presidential election, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the first time in our history brought the SIS under a military officer. One-time Director of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) Brigadier Suresh Sallay was named new SIS Chief. Subsequently, he was promoted to the rank of Major General
President Rajapaksa also named retired Maj. Gen. Jagath Alwis as the Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) in place of retired DIG Sisira Mendis.
Intelligence veteran Maj. Gen. Kapila Hendavitharana served the CNI at the time of the 2015 government change. On the UNP’s request, President Sirisena appointed retired DIG Sisira Mendis as the CNI and Mendis was replaced soon after the Easter attacks.
Maj. Gen. Hendavitharana told The Island that national intelligence services should present the correct ‘intelligence picture’ to relevant political and military authorities. The assertion that political crisis caused difficulties to the SIS in sharing available information with government partners could not be acceptable. Hendavitharana played a crucial role in the overall intelligence effort against the LTTE during the war before being named the first CNI.
Hendavitharana said that the country paid a very heavy price for not taking threats posed by extremists/terrorists seriously.
Nearly 275 persons perished in multiple blasts, over 400 suffered injuries.
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
