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SJB asks whether govt. decided to do away with LG elections
Announcement by UNP of Presidential, General and PC polls:
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Former Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentarian Mujibur Rahuman yesterday (10) asked whether the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government had decided to do away with Local Government (LG) polls.
The SJB Mayoral candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council at the indefinitely postponed LG polls said that the so-called UNP Management Committee Tuesday (09) evening had declared that presidential election would be held in September this year, followed by parliamentary election and Provincial Councils in January and March, 2025, respectively.
Rahuman, who first entered Parliament in 2015, as a UNP member, contested the 2020 general election on the SJB ticket. He resigned his parliamentary seat on January 21, 2023 to join the fray as the SJB’s Mayoral candidate at the LG poll in Colombo.
The UNP Management Committee consists of Assistant Leader and ex-MP Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, MP Vajira Abeywardena (National List), Minister Harin Fernando (SJB), Minister Manusha Nanayakkara (SJB), ex-MP Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku, ex-MP Ravi Karunanayaka, ex-MP Ruwan Wijewardene, Lasantha Gunawardena and Shamal Senarath.
Responding to The Island queries, Rahuman pointed out that having declared presidential, parliamentary and Provincial Council polls that could cost as much as Rs 30 bn, within a space of seven months, the government couldn’t claim it lacked funds to conduct the LG poll.
The ex-Colombo District MP said that the Election Commission should take up this matter with President Wickremesinghe.
President Wickremesinghe yesterday appointed Prof. Lakshman Dissanayake as the fifth member of the EC, headed by R.M.A.L. Ratnayake.
The other members are M.A.P.C. Perera, Ameer Mohammed Faiz and Anusuya Shanmuganathan. Saman Sri Ratnayake functions as the EC Director General.
SJB spokesman Rahuman said that the incumbent government deferred the LG poll, which was to be conducted before the end of March 2023, claiming it couldn’t allocate funds due to the economic crisis. In spite of that, the Supreme Court directed that the funds allocated through the budget for the conducting of election be made available, the ex-MP said, adding that he, too, subsequently moved the Supreme Court in that regard.
Alleging that the SLPP and UNP feared to face the electorate, against the backdrop of Aragalaya, hence the decision to put off LG polls, the former lawmaker said that Gotabaya Rajapakas’s government, in Dec 2021, announced its decision to put off the LG poll to March 2023, blaming it on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rahuman said that the EC should also be concerned about the inordinate delay in holding the Provincial Council polls. Political parties seemed to have quite conveniently forgotten that all nine Provincial Councils were dissolved, with effect from Oct 08, 2019. The last PC dissolved was the Uva council.
The terms of the Northern Provincial Council came to an end on Oct 25, 2018, the Central Province on Oct 8, 2018, North Western Province on Oct 10, 2018, Sabaragamuwa on Sept 26, 2018, Eastern Province on Sept 30, 2018, North Central Province on Oct 1, 2018, Southern Province on April 10, 2019 and Western Province on April 21, 2019.
Referring to President Wickremesinghe’s repeated assurances regarding devolution of powers in terms of the 13th Amendment and the declarations made in Jaffna during his recently concluded visit, the ex-parliamentarian said that the government should explain why PC polls couldn’t be held for well over four years.
The Parliament, as the supreme institution tasked with enactment of laws and ensuring financial discipline, should be held accountable, the ex-MP said, pointing out the failure on the part of political parties to vigorously pursue the issue.
Rahuman said that those among the international community concerned over the developments here couldn’t remain silent over the postponement of the PC and LG polls. The sudden announcement on presidential, general and PC polls could be in line with the UNP strategy, the former MP said.
EC Director General Saman Sri Ratnayaka said that though they initially estimated the LG poll, if conducted in March 2023, could have cost as much as Rs 10 bn, he was now confident of spending a much lower amount. “We spent about Rs 1 bn on that poll by the time the postponement was declared,” the forthright official said, adding that the EC could have managed with Rs 6 bn. However, against the backdrop of all round tax increase effected this year, expenditure was going to be high, the official said.
In late Nov 2023, State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, addressing the media at the Presidential Media Centre, declared that Rs 10 bn had been allocated through the 2024 Budget for the EC.
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
