Connect with us

News

Sumanthiran tells government not to play politics with economic situation

Published

on

TNA MP  M.A.Sumanthiran told Parliament on Thursday that when the previous government attempted to repeal the PTA, MPs that now represent the SLPP MPs too supported it.

“All that they objected to was the Act or the Bill that was supposed to replace the PTA, which was called the counter terrorism bill, had certain other draconian provisions which could have been used against trade unions and other organizations because there was a new provision that was brought in by which organizations can be proscribed. I agreed with them at that point in time, so we were all in agreement that the Prevention of Terrorism Act ought to be repealed. The draconian provisions in the Prevention of Terrorism Act has no place in civilized society,” he said.

Now the same MPs have changed their tune and are accusing others of continuing their attempt to repeal the PTA, the TNA MP said.

State Minister Shehan Semasinghe: “The Act which you are referring to was gazette on 17 September 2018. Am I right? The counter terrorism act. At that time the government which was ruling the country also supported, so why didn’t you go ahead with it? if you say that you had consent from our side also, why didn’t you go ahead with that?”

MP Sumanthiran: “I am thankful to Minister for raising that question. This is the question a lot of people are asking me in the public realm as well, and you have given me an opportunity to answer that. We also found various negative features in that Bill. And in parliamentary committee, particularly, the committee on legal reforms, we corrected those provisions. There were still some more objectionable even for us and the Foreign minister at that time, Tilak Marapana, gave an assurance that at committee stage those also would be corrected. But that was, as you rightly said, in 2018 September. In October your party tried a backflip – tried a constitutional coup in the country. There was instability right through November and December. And after that there was no possibility of going through that Act and then Easter bombing happened.”

The TNA MP said that after the Easter Sunday bombings people called for a strong leader and strong pieces of legislation against terrorism. The TNA MP said that the parliamentary select committee that inquired into the Easter bombing, in September 2019, in its report that asked the question whether this was done to  make the country a call for a strong leader with the presidential election coming later in the year.

“Now, that was only a question that was posed by the parliamentary select committee but its being proved more and more to be the actual fact. If not, I ask you the question: there were intelligence reports that were available, not just three weeks before the attack – even one hour before the attack, the previous evening. There were sources that were available who are still alive, because it came from a different country. To date not one muscle has been moved to take action against those who perpetrated the act,” he said.

Sumanthiran said that it is important to go after the ones who planned premeditated acts and caused so much havoc in the country. However, no such persons had been produced before court.

“Now before I sit down, I want to table the letter dated 11 February 2022, which party leaders in this house including members of the government subscribe to, saying certain steps must be taken to arrest the economic situation of the country. Now I am not saying that because we say you should do that. Everyone agrees that this should have been done more than a year ago. There is no coherence in the government: you listen to the Minister of Finance; you can’t even understand what he is saying. There are several interviews….  we are ashamed, that’s the coherence with which the finance minister of the country is speaking. The Governor says something totally opposite. You the Minister of State also holds something connected to finance in this country. There must be a coherent policy. We are willing to support. This is a damage that this caused to the whole country. We are all willing to stand together and approach this situation. So I urge the government: don’t play politics with the economic situation as you have been doing with the Easter bomb attack. This must be faced by the whole country together. And we have demonstrated that we are willing to support the government in addressing this situation.”



Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development

Published

on

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.”

Continue Reading

News

Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

News

CIPM successfully concludes 8th Annual Symposium

Published

on

Left to right, Prof. Arosha Adikaram - Chairperson of the Symposium, UAC Obeyesekere – Chief Executive Officer, CIPM Sri Lanka, Guest of Honor - Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer, MAS Holdings PVT Ltd., Sri Lanka, Ken Vijayakumar, President, CIPM Sri Lanka, Priyantha Ranasinghe,Vice President, CIPM Sri Lanka, Col. Saman Jayawickrama (Retd) – Secretary, CIPM Sri Lanka, Dr Dilanjalee Weerathunga – Co Chairperson of the Symposium

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.

Continue Reading

Trending