News
SJB asks govt. to hold early general election
alleges refuelling stop of Macron’s plane exploited
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Spokesman Mujibur Rahuman yesterday (30) urged President Ranil Wickremesinghe to hold an early general election. He said so, responding to UNP MP Wajira Abeywardena’s recent declaration that Wickremesinghe would serve as the President for 12 more years.
Rahuman dismissed Tourism Minister Harin Fernando’s claim that the UNP would continue to rule the country until 2048, as rhetoric intended to divert attention of the electorate.In the absence of a party network at the grassroots level, President Wickremesinghe was actually helpless. The UNP leader was at the mercy of SLPP bosses,” Rahuman said.
Pointing out that in the previous Parliament, the UNP had 107 elected and appointed members, Rahuman said that the electorate had reduced the UNP to a single MP. “The SJB accommodated Harin Fernando on its National List. If the former minister remained with Wickremesinghe, he, too, would have been an ex-MP now,” Rahuman said. Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara, who successfully contested the last general election in the Galle district, switched allegiance to the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa several weeks before his ouster. Subsequently, they joined forces with Wickremesinghe, Rahuman said.
Responding to another query, Rahuman challenged the UNP and Cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena to explain their respective positions on the inordinately delayed Local Government polls and Provincial Council elections.
The Opposition also wanted to know Premier Dinesh Gunawardena’s stand on the postponed elections, Rahuman said, warning the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government couldn’t deceive the electorate with bombastic statements.
In terms of the Constitution, President Wickremesinghe could dissolve Parliament anytime he wanted to after the House completed half of its five-year term, but couldn’t do so without the SLPP’s approval. The last general election was held in August 2020.
According to Rahuman, the SLPP has received an assurance from President Wickremesinghe that the Parliament wouldn’t be dissolved under any circumstances.Commenting on the recently conducted All-Party Conference (APC), chaired by President Wickremesinghe, Rahuman said that perhaps the UNP leader called it to appease the Indian leadership.
The President couldn’t have anticipated a consensus on devolution of power, particularly police powers, as the SLPP, the largest party represented in Parliament won nearly 2/3 majority at the last general election campaigning on a communal platform, he alleged.
“President Wickremesinghe knew it was a futile exercise but he went ahead with it to reassure India of his intentions in this regard. New Delhi cannot be deceived by such exercises,” Rahuman said, adding that the reportage of the 26 July event at the Presidential Secretariat exposed the pathetic way it was handled.
How could the President convince his interest in Provincial Councils and Local Government when he sabotaged the polls? Rahuman asked. Referring to President Wickremesinghe’s address to the Bar Association event, held in Nuwara Eliya recently, Rahuman said that he expressed views on elections regardless of the ongoing cases in different courts on the postponement of Local Government polls.
Rahuman said that the government believed that it could exploit events and various developments to its advantage without addressing real issues. The former Colombo District MP said that how the government used French President French President Emmanuel Macron’s refuelling stop at the Bandaranaike International Airport was a case in point.
The French flight landed at the BIA about 20 minutes after 11pm on Friday (28). It departed within three hours.Have you ever heard of Sri Lanka conducting bilateral talks at the presidential level at the BIA? Rahuman asked.
The former UNPer said that the French leader was on his way back home after visiting the French archipelago of New Caledonia, followed by stops in Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.Rahuman pointed out that President Wickremesinghe, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, and Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardena were among those who were at the bilateral talks at the BIA.What is really happening is real issues are lost in rhetoric, Rahuman 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
