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Sirisena and Fonseka blame each other for security lapses
By Saman Indrajith
Ex-President Maithripala Sirisena and ex-Army Commander Field Marshal Sarath Fonskea had a heated argument in Parliament yesterday over national security lapses that had led to the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
Field Marshal Fonseka said Sirisena had no sense of national security and that had led to the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
“Even after the attacks, Sirisena, who was in Singapore, did not return to the country in the first flight available. There were two flights from Singapore, one at 12 noon and the other at 9 pm on that day. First class seats were not available in them and Sirisena waited till 1 am the following day to return home. He had no sense of urgency to attend to the national crisis here. Now, he is going with a till in Pettah to collect money to pay compensation to the victims,” Fonseka said.
Former President Sirisena said Fonseka was an ungrateful man to accuse him of security lapses. “If anyone collects money with a till at Pettah, I am willing to take that contribution because I have no money. Fonseka is an ungrateful man. It is I who gave him a presidential pardon while he was languishing in jail. He came after me asking for the field marshal post. The basic requirement to make a field marshal in a country is the strength of the army of that country. It needs more than one million troops to create the field marshal post. We did not have it. So, we made recruitments to enable the creation of that post. In the past several days he has been calling to put me behind bars. He says that I have no qualifications to talk about national security. What qualifications does he have to talk about national security? He was not even able to maintain security at the Army Headquarters when he was the commander of the army. A female suicide cadre went into the army headquarters and blew herself up injuring Fonseka seriously. The one who could not maintain security now talks about national security. Even the Supreme Court has accepted the fact that I have not been informed by any officer of the impending attacks while they had received prior warnings. It is unfair to criticise me. I destroyed the Zahran group within three weeks of the attacks.
Field Marshal Fonseka:
Sirisena did not give me pardon or promotion because he personally favoured me. It was there in the manifesto of his presidential election. That manifesto promised to give justice to me. People endorsed it. He was carrying out only an election promise when he gave the presidential pardon and the promotion. I had made speeches in hundreds of his rallies in support of him. He later removed my ministerial post because I criticized him. The attack on the army headquarters was because of the lapse of security measures following the Ceasefire Agreement. During a ceasefire we scaled down security. He does not understand security concepts.
Sirisena:
Fonseka says that the field marshal post was given to him as an election promise. He visited me many times begging to get that post. I finally made him the field marshal. Fonseka is not a man who knows what language he should use in Parliament. I regret hearing these things.”
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
