News
Prof. Jayasumana hints at moves to bring in a new PM
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The SLPP rebel group wouldn’t get involved in ongoing efforts to appoint a new Prime Minister later this year, MP Prof. Channa Jayasumana said.The former State Minister said that he didn’t want Premier Dinesh Gunawardena replaced in a hurry.
The Anuradhapura District MP said so when The Island sought an explanation regarding his shocking revelation in parliament on Tuesday (06) of the rebel group being approached for support in the campaign to oust the incumbent PM.
The statement was made against the backdrop of an influential section of the SLPP parliamentary group asserting that ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa should return to Parliament as PM as it was he who got the 2019 mandate. Speculation is also rife of another group promoting a lawmaker for the post of PM.
Referring to what Prof. Jayasumana called Premier Gunawardena’s sarcastic comment regarding lawmakers switching sides during his long parliamentary career, the new entrant said that having entered Parliament at the last parliamentary election in August 2020, he had already seen three Premiers. Prof. Jayasumana said that he didn’t want to see another Premier later this year.The rebel SLPP group consists of 13 members.Prof. Jayasumana said that reference was made to the ongoing battle when he got an opportunity to address Parliament on Tuesday following quite an effort made by the group.
“Our group was not allocated time during the three-day debate on the interim budget presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister,” Prof. Jayasumana said.The medical academic asserted that denying them time to address the parliament seemed to be part of the overall strategy meant to coerce them. Responding to another query, MP Jayasumana said that he and MP Thilak Rajapaksa received the opportunity to speak on Tuesday following Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s intervention.
“We were allocated time at the Speaker’s discretion. On Wednesday, too, two of their members, Wasantha Yapa Bandara and Dr. Upul Galappaththy, were allocated time on the intervention of the Speaker,” Prof. Jayasumana said.
Appreciating the intervention made by the Speaker, Prof. Jayasumana said that they should be accommodated on the time allocated to the government or the Opposition. At the onset of the 9th Parliament, the government was allocated 60 percent of a particular day’s time and the rest to the Opposition. This has been based on the government having 145 seats and the SJB led Opposition the remaining seats. In spite of the breaking up of the SLPP group several months ago, the formula hadn’t been changed, Prof. Jayasumana said. The former health minister questioned the rationale in the SLPP allocating time to other dissident groups while depriving only them the required time to address parliament.
Asked whether they brought this matter to the notice of President Wickremesinghe, Prof. Jayasumana said that in addition to the President, they briefed Premier Gunawardena, Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga as well as Leader of the House Susil Premjayantha of the injustice done to them. All of them accepted that the SLPP rebels should be allocated time though they so far haven’t intervened in this matter, the MP said.
Prof. Jayasumana said that they made representations to Speaker Abeywardena in this regard several times. The Speaker promised to take up this issue with the government and the Opposition and resolve the matter on Thursday (08).
He asked whether the parliamentary business was controlled by elements outside the House. The MP said that in spite of the developing political-economic-social crisis some of those at the helm of political apparatus seemed to still engage in consolidating their positions.The MP warned that it would be a grave mistake on the part of the government to believe the country was now out of the woods. Such an assessment based on staff-level agreement with the IMF for USD 2.9 bn over a four-year period would be catastrophic, Prof Jayasumana said.
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
