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Widespread pessimism among people – survey report
A recent survey has confirmed widespread suffering and pessimism among masses, countrywide, with the blame squarely placed on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s regime. People are also calling for an audit of the Members of Parliament and an end to the Rajapaksa family politics, says the Centre for Policy Alternatives.
The CPA has said: These are the findings of Confidence in Democratic Governance Index (Wave 2) conducted by Social Indicator (SI), the survey research arm of the Centre for Policy Alternatives. This scientific opinion poll aims to capture a snapshot of public experiences, under the current crisis situation. Further, the poll also examines the causes for the crisis as well as the solutions to the crisis from the lenses of the Sri Lankan public. Given the fragile political condition, this survey was conducted within a very short period of time employing SI’s countrywide field network.
The findings send an unequivocal message to the Government that the current public outcry against the economic and political crisis in the country, is not limited to the protest sites in Galle Face, but is spread throughout the country amongst both men and women from all ethnic and economic groups. The survey findings show that an overwhelming majority of Sri Lankans have been affected by the current crisis. 88% of Sri Lankans claim that either they or a member from their immediate family have had to stand in queues to obtain essential items such as gas, fuel, milk powder, fertiliser, etc. during the past one month. Nine out of 10 Sri Lankans claim that either his or her income or the income of a member from their immediate family has been affected as a result of the economic crisis. The survey findings also reveal how this crisis has awakened public consciousness on democratic citizenship. Close to half of Sri Lankans – men and women equally – have taken part in at least one of the protest campaigns against those who are responsible for the plight of the Sri Lankan state.
Across the country, people unanimously blame the Gotabaya Rajapaksa Government for the current financial crisis which is considered to be the worst crisis in post-independence Sri Lanka. 62% of Sri Lankans blame the economic mismanagement of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa Government – whilst 14.5% and 14.4% respectively, blame the economic mismanagement of Governments, since independence, and the country’s corrupt political culture.This study tested public support towards some of the proposals put forward by various parties to address the current crisis. More than 96% of Sri Lankans believe that all politicians should be audited and all their unaccounted wealth should be confiscated by the State. Nine out of 10 Sri Lankans hold the opinion that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa should resign and that the Rajapaksa family should leave Sri Lankan politics. 87% support the demand that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa should resign. Therefore, the survey clearly indicates that in people’s minds the Rajapaksa’s have no role to play in solving the crisis and removing them is seen as the way out of the current crisis. It is important to note that this view is harboured by all ethnic communities, including the Sinhala majority, who overwhelmingly voted for him three years ago.
There is clear public support for the other proposals such as, the country should be governed by the Council of Experts until it overcomes the current crisis, abolishing the Executive Presidency, establishing an interim Government, comprising of all parties in Parliament, and repealing the 20th Amendment and replacing it with an amendment similar to the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. However, people seem to be cautious about the proposal that demands all 225 members of Parliament to resign. Only 56% of Sri Lankans support such a proposal. According to the survey findings, the support for those proposals does not vary significantly across different ethnic communities.
A significant majority of Sri Lankans express pessimism about their future. Only 2% believe that the country’s economy will return to its normal status soon – while 58% think it will take a long time and 14% think that it will take some time. A little over a quarter of Sri Lankans state that they do not know as to when the country’s economy will return to normalcy.The Confidence in Democratic Governance Index (Wave 2) was carried out using a semi-structured questionnaire with 1200 sample respondents from the four main ethnic communities (Sinhala, Tamil, up Country Tamil, and Muslim). The sample distribution captured men and women from both urban and rural localities in all districts.A multi-staged random stratified sampling technique was used to select the sample locations, and the respondents were selected using the snowball sampling technique within sample locations.Field work for the national poll was conducted during 19 to 25 April 2022. The dataset was weighted in order to reflect the actual district and ethnic proportion of the population. The data set was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS)
.
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
