News
Proposed ‘postponement of PC polls’: State Minister may have erred – EC Chief
LG polls likely to be delayed: Polls monitors alarmed
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Election Commission (EC) Chief Nimal G. Punchihewa yesterday (16) said Provincial Council polls couldn’t be put off through the intervention of the Cabinet. Attorney-at-law Punchihewa emphasised that there was no provision under any circumstances for the Cabinet to request the EC to postpone PC polls though Local Government polls could be put off.
LG bodies comprise Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas.
The EC Chairman said so when The Island sought his response to Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Roshan Ranasinghe’s recent declaration that he submitted a Cabinet paper seeking postponement of the Provincial Council polls by one year.
A statement dated Dec 15 issued by State Minister’s office quoted him as having told a workshop for Local Government members at Laya Leisure at Kukukeganga, 09 Dec. that the EC would be soon informed of the Cabinet decision. Lawyer Punchihewa said that perhaps a genuine mistake had been made by the State Minister or the Ministry when issuing a statement as regards the event held at Kukuleganga.
The EC consists of Nimal G. Punchihewa, S.B. Divaratne, M.M. Mohamad, K.P.P. Pathirana and Mrs. P.S.M. Charles.
When the EC’s response was brought to the notice of the State Minister’s Office, a spokesperson said that as the Minister was overseas he couldn’t be contacted immediately but clarification would be made soon. The State Ministry didn’t respond to The Island query by the time this edition went to press.
Responding to another query, Punchihewa asserted that perhaps the State Minister had referred to a government decision to put off the forthcoming Local Government polls. Asked to explain, EC Chairman said: “The EC conducted the last LG poll on Feb. 10, 2018. The LG bodies were constituted on March 20, 2018. Therefore, the next round of elections would have to be conducted before March 20, 2022.”
Punchihewa recently told the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reforms that the EC was in the process of preparing to hold LG election scheduled for late March 2022. Punchihewa said that the EC needed at least four months to make preparations for the LG polls.
The EC Chief said that he hadn’t been so far informed of a move to put off LG polls.
Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunuwardena’s Office spokesperson quoted Punchihewa as having told the PSC that if LG poll was to be conducted in late March under the existing system, the date had to be announced in January 2022.
The PSC consists of Dinesh Gunawardena, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Prof. G.L. Peiris, Pavitradevi Wanniarachchi, Douglas Devananda, Wimal Weerawansa, Basil Rajapaksa, Ali Sabry, PC, Jeewan Thondaman, Rauff Hakeem, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Kabir Hashim, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Mano Ganesan, M.A. Sumanthiran, Madura Vithanage and Sagara Kariyawasam.
The PSC headed by Minister Gunawardena is scheduled to meet on Dec 20. The spokesperson said that in spite of the prorogation of the Parliament, the PSC on electoral reforms would continue.
Leading polls monitoring group PAFFREL said that they were quite shocked by the move to put off LG polls. Acknowledging that State Minister Ranasinghe had inadvertently referred to scheduled LG polls as PC election,
PAFFREL spokesperson Rohana Hettiarachchi questioned the rationale in putting off LG polls. Hettiarachchi who also represents the March 12 Movement said that postponement of elections under whatever circumstances undermined democracy. The official said that a statement would be issued soon on the issue at hand.
The yahapalana government delayed LG polls and then scuttled the law pertaining to PC polls. Currently, there is no law available to hold the elections.
The original law enacted in terms of the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987 was formulated in 1988 but due to issues that arose from it, the last government proposed changes. Those changes were included in a new PC Elections Bill No 17 of 2017 but lawmakers on both sides disagreed with the provisions.
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
