News
More than 500 CEB engineers to report sick today over appointment of Acting GM
By Ifham Nizam
More than 500 engineers attached to the Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) will launch a sick-note campaign today near the CEB headquarters, CEBEU President Saumya Kumarawadu said.
Kumarawadu told journalists yesterday that the union had been compelled to resort to such trade union after 10 years as CEB Chairman M. M. C. Ferdinando had appointed Eng. Dr. M.N. Susantha Perera the General Manager on temporary basis.
However, the engineers rostered for work would function, the CEBEU chief said.
The CEBEU President said that the appointment had been made in violation of Section 5(1) of the CEB Act (the appointment be made with approval from the Power Minister) and Section 5(4) (the GM shall retire from office at the age of 60 years).
Others backing the Chairman’s action said “the Board of CEB had unanimously appointed Dr. Perera as the Acting General Manager of CEB on a temporary basis, pursuant to the order of the Court of Appeal dated January 12, 2022, under the powers vested in the Board in Section 5 (1) of the Ceylon Electricity Board Act, No. 17 of 1969, it has claimed.
“The Court Order states that the Board should make the said appointment on temporary basis under Section 5 (1) of the CEB Act. The Court order does not state that its order should be read in conjunction with any other provisions in the CEB Act.
“Specifically, the Court order does not state that the age of the person selected for appointment as the General Manager on temporary basis should be below 60 years, or the said appointment should be subject to Section 5 (4) of the CEB Act. However, this is a moot point since the retirement age of all CEB employees has been increased to 62.
“The order of the Court of Appeal is an interim order that will remain in force until the final determination of the case.
“The CEBEU claims that the above appointment of Dr. Perera as the General Manager is illegal and violated the order of the Court of Appeal, based on its own interpretation of the said Court Order. The CEBEU has conceded that the suitability of the person appointed as the General Manager shall be determined in terms of Section 5 (1) of the CEB Act.
“Hence, the CEBEU cannot second guess an order issued by the Court of Appeal and take the position that the said order should be read together with Section 5 (4) or any other provision in the CEB Act when the Court has not made any reference to such provisions in its order.
“Section 5 (1) of the CEB Act states that “the Board shall, with the approval of the Minister, appoint a competent and experienced person as the General Manager of the Board.” In communicating the Board’s decision taken on 14 -01-2022, the Chairman of CEB has stated that he obtained the Minister’s concurrence to appoint Dr. Perera as the General Manager based on the Court order.
“The General Manager is a CEB employee and subject to all CEB rules and regulations, including the disciplinary rules applicable to CEB employees. The CEBEU’s argument that the person appointed as the General Manager should not be an outsider, or a
person “not eligible to be appointed as a CEB employee” has no basis since Section 5 (1) or any other clause in the CEB Act contains no such requirement.”
News
EC asks winners to name heads of majority-controlled LG institutions; bargaining continues in hung councils
Chairman of the Election (EC) Commission R. M. A. L. Ratnayake said yesterday that the EC would direct the political parties and independent groups that have secured absolute majorities in local government bodies to name the heads of those institutions.
The ruling NPP and the Opposition parties are vying for control of the hung local councils including the Colombo MC. Both the NPP and the SJB have offered to coalesce with independent groups to muster majorities.
Ratnayake said that notifications would be sent to the General Secretaries of parties and independent groups that have won local government bodies with a majority of more than 50% of the vote.
The results of the 2025 Local Government election held on Tuesday (6) were released on Wednesday (7).
The NPP won 266 out of 339 local government institutions. The SJB and the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi won 13 and 37 councils respectively. Independent groups and regional Tamil political parties won the other councils.
However, the winners have failed to secure more than 50% of seats in a majority of the local government institutions.Ratnayake said that the members elected to local government institutions at the ward level would be officially gazetted in the coming days.
The heads of the non-majority councils will be elected by their members. The government and the Opposition are accusing each other of using financial inducements to make some councilors switch their allegiance ahead of the election of the heads of the hung local councils.
The NPP has said it is confident of forming stable administrations in 134 local councils, but the Opposition is of the view that the NPP will not be able to do so in about 186 councils.
The Supreme Court yesterday (8) turned down an appeal filed by former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, seeking the dismissal of a case against him and three others by the Attorney General over a road accident that took place in Rajagiriya in 2016.
This decision was announced by Supreme Court Justice Yasantha Kodagoda, with the concurrence of Chief Justice Murdu Fernando and Justice Gamini Amarasekera.
They ruled that the appeal lacked merit and directed the High Court to proceed with the trial.
The Attorney General filed the indictment on charges including concealing evidence regarding the alleged hit-and-run incident where the vehicle the former Minister was travelling in collided with a motorcycle in Rajagiriya, causing life-threatening injuries to its rider, and the alleged fabrication of evidence related to the accident.
The Supreme Court ordered the Colombo High Court to take up the indictment filed against the defendants for examination.
Cabinet Spokesman Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said yesterday, at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing, that the government would not allow other countries to use Sri Lankan territory for military purposes.
Asked to reveal the government’s position on the ongoing Indo-Pakistan conflict, Dr. Jayatissa said Sri Lanka would always reject all forms of terrorism and stand for regional peace.
Commenting on the developments along the borders of India and Pakistan, the Minister said the government was taking note of the updates given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Minister Jayatissa said that Sri Lanka would not get involved in geopolitical issues within the Indian Ocean and said the government would continue its ‘non-aligned’ policy.
Sri Lanka maintained cordial diplomatic ties with both India and Pakistan, the Minister said.
EC asks winners to name heads of majority-controlled LG institutions; bargaining continues in hung councils
SC rejects Ranawaka’s appeal for dismissal of case against him
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