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Sarath (SLPP) and Sajith (SJB) heads Colombo district preferences
With over 300,000 votes each
Sarath Weerasekara, a former senior naval officer, topped the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Colombo district preferences with 328,092 votes, while Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader, Sajith Premadasa secured 305,744 votes.
The SLPP, which polled 674,603 (57.04%), mustered 12 seats, while the SJB won six seats by polling 387,145 (32.73%).
The JVP-led Jathika Jana Balawegaya won one seat by obtaining 67,600 (5.72%) votes.
While Weerasekara headed the SLPP preferences in the Colombo district, Wimal Weerawansa came a distant second with 267,084 votes. Udaya Gammanpila was third in line with 136,331 votes followed by Wijedasa Rajapakse 120,626, Bandula Gunawardena 101,644, Pradeep Undugoda 91,958, Dinesh Gunawardena 85,287, Madura Vithanage 70,205, Premanath C. Dolawatte 69,055, Gamini Lokuge 62,543, Susil Premajayanth 50,322 and Jagath kumara 47,693.
Second in line to Sajith Premadasa on the SJB Colombo district preferences was S. M. Marikkar who secured 96,916 votes followed by Mujibar Rahuman 87,589, Harsha De Silva 82,845, Patali Champika Ranawaka 65,574 and Mano Ganesan 62,091.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Jathika Jana Balawegaya polled 49,814 votes.
In the Gampaha district, the SLPP won 13 sears with Nalaka Godahewa topping the preferences by securing 325,479 votes. Prasanna Ranatunge was second with 316,544 preferential votes followed by Indika Anurudda 136,297, Sisira Jayakody 113,130, Nimal Lanza 108,945, Sahan Pradeep Vithana 97,494, Sudarshani Fernandopulle 89,329, Prasanna Ranaweera, 83,203, Harshani Gunawardane, 77,922, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, 73,061, Nalin Ruwanjeewa Fernando 69,800, Milan Sajith Jayathilake 68,449 and Upul Mahendran Rajapaksa 67,756.
Sarath Fonseka headed the SJB preferences with 110,535, Ranjan Ramanayake 103,992, Harshana Rajakaruna 73,612 and Kavinda Jayawardane 52,026. The party won four seats in the district.
The Jathika Jana Balawegaya won one seat with Vijitha Herath polling 32,008 votes.
SLPP’s Vidura Wickramanayake won the highest number of 147,958 preferential votes in the Kalutara district with Rohitha Abeygunawardena a close second with 147,472. The others elected were Sanjeewa Edirimanne 105,973, Piyal Nishantha 103,904, Jayantha Samaraweera 100,386, Anupa Pasqual 97,777, Lalith Ellawala 76,705 and Mahinda Samarasinghe 58,514
The party secured eight seats in the district.
The SJB won two seats with Rajitha Senaratne obtaining 77,476 votes and Kumara Welgama 77,083.
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.
