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Privatisation of national assets: SLPP accountable for President’s actions: GL
Rebel group questions national security review
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Having elected UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as the President, in July last year, the SLPP couldn’t keep silent as the UNP leader took decisions that would have far reaching implications, Prof. G. L. Peiris warned yesterday (21).
Addressing the media at the rebel SLPP group’s Nawala Office, Prof. Peiris asked the ruling SLPP parliamentary group to explain its stand regarding the President’s decision to sell Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation and Sri Lanka Telecom.
The former External Affairs Minister emphasised that the SLPP couldn’t absolve itself of the responsibility for Wickremesinghe’s actions.
The SLPP parliamentary group elected Wickremesinghe after a section of the party threw its weight behind Dullas Alahapperuma who received the backing of the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya. Wickremesinghe received 134 votes whereas Alahapperuma polled 82 votes.
Accusing President Wickremesinghe of hurriedly implementing his economic strategies rejected by the electorate at successive elections, Prof. Peiris criticised the announcement pertaining to comprehensive national security review against the backdrop of selling of strategically important national assets.
The SLPP National List MP was commenting on President Wickremesinghe’s announcement made at the Advance Naval Training Centre, Boossa on Friday (18). Wickremesinghe, who also holds Finance and Defence portfolios, said that a contemporary security policy would be formulated under the purview of the National Security Council once a team led by retired Maj. Gen. Channa Gunathilake submitted its recommendations.
Prof. Peiris said that if Sri Lanka was to adopt a security policy it should be subject to discussion and approval in Parliament. The former minister later told The Island that the parliamentary Oversight Committee on National Security, chaired by retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, couldn’t be discarded in this process. Prof. Peiris said that the role of the parliamentary committee should be examined against the backdrop of the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government rejection of its recommendations pertaining to the SLT.
The President’s Office roundly rejected the recommendations made by the Oversight Committee no sooner Rear Admiral Weerasekera submitted his report to the Parliament. The former Public Security Minister warned that privatization of SLT posed a threat to national security.
Prof. Peiris said that the SLPP was aware that Wickremesinghe’s rule would end before the end of next year. Therefore, the SLPP couldn’t allow the President to work contrary to its main principles. The SLPP could never justify privatization of SLIC which owned 99 percent of Litro, the national gas supplier, Prof. Peiris said.
At the onset of the briefing, Prof. Peiris castigated President Wickremesinghe for his refusal at least to listen to the professionals, including the academics, regarding alternative proposals meant to overcome the financial crisis, instead of burdening the population with taxes.
Referring to a recent instance of heavy deployment of police around the Presidential Secretariat to block a group of professionals who sought to submit their proposals to the President, Prof. Peiris questioned the rationale in the President calling the police in response to professionals seeking a meeting. The academic warned that the President’s actions further encouraged more professionals to leave the country.
“We are facing an unprecedented catastrophic situation,” the lawmaker said, claiming as many as 5,000 medical professionals could leave the country in the coming months, in addition to various other categories of experts. President Wickremesinghe seemed to be wholly incapable of entering into a dialogue with the people struggling to make ends meet.
Alleging that the incumbent government never bothered with the national interests, when entering into an agreement with the IMF in September last year, and then finalizing it in March this year, Prof. Peiris said that a future government would definitely negotiate the conditions with the IMF again.
Commenting on the President’s vow to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, Prof. Peiris said that there was no point in discussing the matter as the UNP leader, with just one National List seat in Parliament, couldn’t go ahead without the support of other political parties. The SLPP that elected him as the President has already rejected the President’s proposals, therefore nothing would happen. Prof. Peiris said that the President made the declaration on the 13th Amendment knowing very well the plan was unrealistic.
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
