News
Ranil gets stumped on Standing Orders
By Saman Indrajith
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena yesterday (20) informed Parliament that the amendments tabled by UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) tabled against Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila could not be accepted.
The Speaker informed the House that the amendment was against Standing Orders.
UNP Leader Wickremesinghe on Monday (19) proposed that the NCM, tabled by the SJB against Minister Udaya Gammanpila, be amended as a no-faith motion against the government.
The Speaker yesterday said: “I wish to make a ruling on the amendment to the no-confidence motion which was handed over to the Secretary General of Parliament by Ranil Wickremasinghe MP yesterday.
“The no-confidence motion which was given notice of by 43 Members of the Opposition is in respect of Udaya Gammanpila, Minister of Energy, and the notice relating to the motion was handed over to the Parliament Secretariat on the 22nd of June, 2021 and was included in the Order Book of Parliament on the 23rd of June, 2021. The Committee on Parliamentary Business on the 5th of July, 2021 decided to take up the Motion for debate on two consecutive days including a special sitting day on the 19th of July 2021 and the 20th of July, 2021.
“The notice of the substantive motion of no confidence had no indication that it could finally be converted into a no-confidence motion on the Cabinet of Ministers which is the government. The Committee on the Parliamentary Business was also not informed that an amendment would be moved to convert the no-confidence motion against the Minister of Energy to be a no-confidence motion against the government. Furthermore, the debate that took place yesterday in the House was very much focused on the no-confidence motion against a single Minister namely, Udaya Gammanpila.
“The legal effect of the amendment handed over to the Secretary General of Parliament by Ranil Wickremesinghe is to convert the no-confidence motion moved against Udaya Gammanpila to assume a new status as a No confidence Motion against the Cabinet of Ministers which is the Government. This was not intended at any stage since notice was given on the Motion.
Standing Order 43 (4) states as follows; ‘An amendment to a question shall be relevant to the question to which such amendment is proposed’.
“According to this principle, the proposed amendment must be relevant to the Motion and fall within the scope of the original motion moved in the House. According to the Indian authority ‘Practice and Procedure of Parliament’ by Kaul and Shakdher sixth edition page 705 ” In order that an amendment to a motion may be admissible, it must satisfy the following conditions; An amendment should be relevant to, and within the scope of the motion to which it is proposed. It should not introduce new or foreign matter or widen the scope of the motion”. Accordingly, an amendment which seeks to convert a No Confidence Motion against a Minister to that of a No Confidence Motion against the Cabinet of Ministers is certainly not within the scope of the original motion and nor it is relevant to the original motion either.
“The Standing Order 43 (5) states as follows; An amendment shall not raise any question which, by the rules of Parliament can only be raised by a substantive motion after notice.”
“We are well aware that a No Confidence Motion against the Cabinet of Ministers could only be brought forward by a substantive motion after due notice is given. Any attempt to subvert this process by bringing an amendment to that effect to an existing No Confidence Motion against a Minister is out of order and contravenes the Standing Orders.
“In the above circumstances, I rule that the proposed amendment to the No Confidence Motion against Udaya Gammanpila, Minister of Energy handed over to the Secretary General of Parliament by Ranil Wickremasinghe MP is out of order, and cannot be accepted.”
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
