News
Privilege issue: House warned against move to summon SC judges
Treasury Chief given seven-day ultimatum
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Freedom People’s Alliance (FPA) yesterday (20) said that the contentious move to summon judges of the Supreme Court before the House Ethics and Privileges Committee, this week, over an interim order could have disastrous consequences.
Former Speaker Chamal Rajapaka heads the Ethics and Privileges Committee.
Addressing the media, at Nawala, the ex-External Affairs Minister pointed out that the government had not only ignored the interim ruling issued by the Supreme Court, but sought to interfere with the judiciary.
Referring to the powers exercised by the executive, legislature and judiciary, Prof. Peiris alleged that the government wanted to keep the judiciary under its thumb.
The former minister declared that there was absolutely no basis for privilege issues raised by SLPP MPs, Premanath Dolawatte, Attorney-at-Law, and Shehan Semasinghe, State Finance Minister.
The MPs, on 07 and 10 March, respectively, raised privilege issues over an interim order that cleared the obstacles for the conducting of polls.
The order was given by the three-member Supreme Court bench, comprising judges Preethi Padman Surasena, Janak de Silva and Priyantha Fernando, allowing the consideration of a fundamental rights petition filed by Samagi Jana Balawegaya General Secretary, MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara.
The former law professor said that the move against the Supreme Court should be examined, taking into consideration Finance Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena conveniently ignoring the directive given on 03 March. Lawmaker Chamal Rajapakse’s committee includes Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, Kanaka Herath, Vijitha Berugoda, Tharaka Balasuriya, Anuradha Jayaratne, Dullus Alahapperuma, Kabir Hashim, Jayantha Ketagoda, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Hesha Withanage, Kokila Gunawardena, Ali Sabry Raheem, Samanpriya Herath and Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.
“If Siriwardena fails to release funds as required by the Election Commission, within seven days from today, the joint Opposition will move the Supreme Court against him on the basis of contempt of court,” the academic said.
Pledging the undivided support of the Opposition to the judiciary, Prof. Peiris said that the interim order was issued to the Secretary of the Finance Ministry and the Attorney General preventing them from withholding the funds allocated for the Election Commission, through the Budget passed by the Parliament for 2023.
In addition, the apex court issued another interim order preventing the misappropriation of money allocated to the government printing press for the printing of ballot papers.
These interim orders were issued to the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, who were named as respondents in the relevant petition, and the Attorney General, who was named on behalf of the President.
Prof. Peiris said that in spite of clear directives in this regard, the Treasury Chief has refrained from releasing funds. Instead of addressing that issue, the ruling party was now going after Supreme Court judges, Prof. Peiris said.
The MP said that if the government was allowed to get away with this, the same strategy would be applied to avoid conducting a presidential election next year.
Prof. Peiris said that the conduct of Parliament, in this regard, could not be acceptable. The former minister found fault with Parliament for interfering in legitimate functions of the Supreme Court, thereby creating an explosive environment which may contribute to further destabilization.
The SJB, in a letter delivered to the Treasury Secretary, warned him of their decision to initiate contempt of court proceedings unless he immediately complied with the original interim order issued by the Supreme Court.
Prof. Peiris said that fearing a certain defeat, the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government had sought to indefinitely put off scheduled Local Government polls, much to the chagrin of the electorate. In support of that disgraceful strategy, they had gone to the extent of challenging the Supreme Court, the former minister said. The lawmaker compared the action contemplated against the judges of the Supreme Court to recent measures taken in respect of Siyatha TV for being critical of government strategies.
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
