News
Speaker dismisses issues being raised over Premalal becoming MP
Says it should have been raised in court
By Saman Indrajith
It was too late to make an issue of Premalal Jayasekera (SLPP) becoming an MP, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena told Parliament on Thursday, adding that it should have been raised in the Court of Appeal before it decided to allow Jayasekera to take oaths.
The Speaker said so when Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa raised objections to Jayasekera taking oaths as an MP while on death row for a murder.
Raising a point of order, Opposition Leader Premadasa said that by allowing Jayasekera to take oaths the Speaker had set a wrong precedent. “In 1982, Selvarajah Yogachandran, also known as Kuttimani, one of the leaders of the TELO, was nominated to Parliament. His name was gazetted to become an MP. However, the then Speaker Bakeer Markar citing the Sections 89 and 91 of the Constitution did not permit Yogachandran to take oaths as an MP because the latter had been sentenced to death. Yogachandran too had appealed against the sentence. That is the precedent in Parliament. That should not have been breached as per section 91 (1) (a) of the Constitution no person shall be qualified to be elected as a Member of Parliament or to sit and vote in Parliament if he is or becomes subject to any of the disqualifications specified in Article 89. The Section 89 (d) of the Constitution says that, no person shall be qualified to be an elector at an election of the President, or of the Members of Parliament or to vote at any referendum if he is under sentence of death and he will lose his right to vote under such a sentence. The Speaker by the act of permitting Jayasekera to take oaths violated the Constitutional provisions.
Speaker Abeywardena:
It is too late and this is not the forum to raise the matter. You should have raised it at the Court of Appeal before it decided to permit Jayasekera to take oaths. The court informed Parliament of its ruling to permit Jayasekera to sit here. We carried out that order.
Opposition Leader Premadasa:
We are not talking of the duty of judges or how they are appointed. What we are talking about is the violation of the constitution and a parliamentary precedent. The Speaker should have followed the example set by former Speakers Bakeer Markar and Anura Bandaranaike, who said Parliament was above the judiciary. We are in no way casting aspersions on Jayasekera. This is not a matter against him personally. We are talking of the matter in principle.
Chief Opposition Whip Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella:
When the court gave an order the former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake could not be subjected to questions of a parliamentary select committee, the then speaker Chamal Rajapaksa ignored the court order stating that Parliament was not bound to follow court orders.
The speaker:
That is a separate issue. It has nothing to do with the issue at hand.
Chief Opposition Whip Kiriella:
You said that you followed the court order to permit Jayasekera to take oaths. You should have followed the precedent and not permitted the murder convict to take oaths.
Leader of the House Minister Dinesh Gunawardena:
The speaker has given a ruling on the matter. It cannot be debated. That is against the Standing Orders. Now, on the pretext of points of order, the Opposition keeps discussing a past issue. This matter is over. These points of order are causing a great injustice to people who voted for MP Jayasekera. You cannot raise points of order to discuss a matter pertaining to a ruling of the Speaker. If there is a matter against the ruling of the chair, then there is a procedure to be followed in addressing it. You have to bring it in the form of a substantive motion. There you have provisions to raise the issue in a motion. Then we could debate it here.
Kurunegala District SJB MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha:
The executive, legislature and the judiciary are the three main pillars of government. The speaker is the head of legislature. The act of allowing Jayasekera to become an MP, has now gone beyond the borders of this country. It is now reported in The Guardian and The New York Times. Those reports have mentioned your name too. This is a great dishonor to this legislature. The matter should be taken seriously.
Speaker Abeywardena said that the matter was hindering other business of parliament and moved the House to the next item on the agenda.
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
