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Wimal blames Gota’s naivety, Basil’s arrogance for current situation
By Rathindra Kuruwita
It would have been better for the country if former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa was allowed to leave Sri Lanka when he attempted to do so in early July, National Freedom Front (NFF) leader, Wimal Weerawansa said.
“Basil tried to go, but officers at the airport didn’t let him go because passengers opposed it. Three officers at the counters left their duties because a passenger took their photos and threatened them. This was a time when the protests were at their zenith. Because of that Basil didn’t go. It would have been better if he had gone,” he said.
Weerawansa said that a person doesn’t need to be in Sri Lanka to investigate whether he had engaged in corruption and that there are UN mechanisms that can be used to punish such individuals and reclaim their assets.
“So there was no reason to keep him. If he had been allowed to go, he wouldn’t still be playing such a big role here,” he said.
The NFF leader said that successive Sri Lankan governments, after 1977, are responsible for the current economic crisis.
“We created this economic mess, and we haven’t really seen the worst of this crisis. Before 1977, Sri Lanka had a positive balance of payment, for the most part. Now it’s the other way around. Especially in the 60s and the 70s, Sri Lanka was trying to manufacture things. A lot of credit must go to then Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. I am not saying that things were great, but we were making progress. But this was cut short in 1977. JR Jayawardene opened up Sri Lanka before our industries could mature. Now we are enjoying the ‘benefits’ of the system that JR created,” Weerawansa said.
The NFF leader said that the crisis was exacerbated by the actions of the Rajapaksa family, in the last few years, especially Gotabaya and Basil Rajapaksa.
“The main reason was Basil, but Gota also played a big role in creating this mess. Gota stuck to his family and let them run the show. This is not what the people wanted,” he said.
Weerawansa added that Gotabaya also had no political experience and they had asked him to discuss with trusted Ministers, and expert advisors, before taking serious decisions.
“Because he had no political experience, he needed to talk to people who know how things operated. But he didn’t do that. There was no discussion or consensus building. I don’t think Gotabaya even consulted the other Rajapaksas before deciding on banning agro-chemicals overnight. Therefore, a lot of necessary decisions were not made and a number of errors were made. Things were going down really fast and we tried to warn him, we tried to fix things from within. When we failed, we told the people where the country was heading and Gotabaya responded by firing us,” he said.
The NFF leader said the during party leaders’ meetings, former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa would act like a slave owner and treated party leaders like his personal property.
“He used to talk to respected politicians like they were peasants and he was the landlord. He thought their good nature was a sign of weakness. Because of this arrogance, Gotabaya now languishes in a hotel in Thailand and he can’t even come out,” he 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
