News
Winner should be decided on the number of electorates won, not popular vote-SLPP MP
Presidential election
By Shamindra Ferdinando
SLPP National List MP Gevindu Cumaratunga yesterday (5) said that he strongly believed Sri Lanka should adopt a system similar to that of the US as part of the overall measures to ensure a level playing field at the presidential election.
Convenor of Yuthukama civil society organization Cumaratunga said that he would soon hand over their proposals to a Committee led by Romesh de Silva, PC, tasked with formulating the new Constitution.
Lawmaker Cumaratunga said so when The Island asked him whether he still wanted an electoral system similar to that of the US in the wake of unprecedented turmoil caused by President Donald Trump threatening to seek Supreme Court intervention, having declared himself the winner.
MP Cumaratunga said that regardless of the chaos caused due to President Trump’s stand, the US system ensured political stability by preventing a particular candidate from exploiting special circumstances to his or her advantage.
Asked to explain, the lawmaker said that ‘Yuthukama’ was of the view that like in the US the winner shouldn’t be decided on the popular vote. Instead, Sri Lanka should go for a system that decided the winner on the number of electorates won by him or her instead of the number of votes.
Responding to another query, Cumaratunga pointed out that as electorates were constituted on the basis of territory and population, the winner at presidential election should be decided on that. The NL MP emphasized ‘Yuthukama’ never advocated a US electoral college system where each State is worth a certain number of electoral college votes depending on the size of its population.
Referring to the 2015 presidential election lost by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Cumaratunga said that President Rajapaksa lost the election though he comfortably secured a far larger number of electorates than Opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena. However, Sirisena secured certain electorates in the Northern and Eastern Provinces as well as Nuwara Eliya on the basis of agreements with members of the UNP-led unholy alliance, MP Cumaratunga said.
Appreciating the enactment of the 20th Amendment as a sort of stop gap measure to restore stability, lawmaker Cumaratunga emphasized the importance of thwarting political maneuvering.
He recalled how all electoral districts in the Northern and Eastern Provinces were delivered by one-time LTTE mouthpiece, the TNA to the then Opposition candidate General Sarath Fonseka. Having accused the war winning Army under Fonseka’s command of war crimes on the northern battlefields, the TNA had no qualms in backing him, MP Cumaratunga said, pointing out such political maneuvering wouldn’t be practical if Sri Lanka decided the winner on the basis of the total number of electorates secured by a candidate than the number of votes.
National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa has backed Cumaratunga’s call for far reaching changes in the presidential election system.
MP Cumaratunga alleged that UNP leader JRJ granted citizenship to Tamils of Indian origin in the run-up to the 1982 presidential election. Acknowledging that the matter shouldn’t be politicized under any circumstances and the needs of those who had been brought to Sri Lanka by the British considered humanly, MP Cumaratunga said however developments invariably paved the way for promotion of agenda often inimical to the State.
The MP also cited President Ranasinghe Premadasa bending backwards to appease the SLMC at presidential election in late 80s for the same reason. MP Cumaratunga alleged that both JRJ and Premadasa sought to win over selected sections of voters even at the expense of stability.
President Trump’s strong reaction to his rival Biden’s challenge shouldn’t deter Sri Lanka from introducing much required change. The MP blamed the crisis on the President, emphasizing it shouldn’t be, in anyway considered a defect of the system.
Pointing out that the Constitution that had been enacted over 40 years ago was repeatedly tinkered over the years and a new Constitution was long overdue, the ‘Yuthukama’ Chief called for uniformity and streamlining of the entire electoral process. The MP expressed the view that the success of the new Constitution making process depended on cohesive action to deal with both constitutional and electoral issues.
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
