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Fmr. female MPs felicitated in Parliament (Pics)
Former female Parliamentarians were felicitated during a special felicitation Programme organized by Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, held today (07) in Parliament in line with the International Women’s Day 2024.
The event was held under the patronage of Speaker – Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and several dignitaries including Prime Minister – Dinesh Gunawardena, Leader of the Opposition – Sajith Premadasa, Chair of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle and Acting Secretary General of Parliament – Mr. Chaminda Kularatne participated in this event.
The program was organized under the theme “Equity and equality for her”.
At the outset of the programme one minute of silence was observed in memory of all the former female MPs who are no longer alive. After that, the official badge of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus was launched and the members of the caucus explained the meaning of the official badge.
After that, former and present female Members of Parliament were felicitated including late Sirima R. D Bandaranaike, the first female Prime Minister of the world, and the first female President of Sri Lanka – Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. The official badge of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus was pinned and the official membership card of the caucus was also presented to the former female Parliamentarians who were present in the event.
Following the programme, a special photo wall created in the Parliament complex, with the photographs of all the women MPs since 1931, was unveiled by the Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.
The programme was organized with the support and cooperation of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Members of Parliament, relatives of former female Members of Parliament, and parliamentary staff members were present on this occasion.
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SL – Vietnam sign 04 MoUs (Pics)
Four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and one Agreement were signed yesterday (May 05) between Sri Lanka and Vietnam, in the presence of President Anura Kumara Disanayake and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Luong Cuong.
Among the agreements signed was a bilateral pact on enhancing cooperation and mutual support in customs affairs between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Additionally, an MoU between the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam and the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development of Sri Lanka on cooperation in machinery and equipment manufacturing, an MoU between the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Department of Agriculture of Sri Lanka on cooperation in agriculture, an MoU between the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI) of Sri Lanka and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and an MoU between the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency and the Sri Lanka Export Development Board on trade promotion cooperation.
These agreements aim to facilitate knowledge sharing and the exchange of diplomats, experts, officials, scholars and researchers, while also encouraging the organization and participation in academic and research programmes, training initiatives and conferences related to diplomacy.
They also provide a platform for a broad range of trade promotion activities, including the exchange of trade and market intelligence, joint participation in trade fairs and exhibitions in both countries, and the organization of business networking events for private sector representatives.
It is expected that this enhanced cooperation will unlock significant market opportunities for both countries, particularly in the sectors of value-added agriculture, fisheries, apparel and Processed food.
The signing took place following bilateral discussions held at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi earlier in the morning.
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President pays homage at Bai Dinh Pagoda (Pics)
As part of the on-going state visit to Vietnam, President Anura Kumara Disanayake visited the Bai Dinh Pagoda, one of the largest Buddhist temple complexes in Southeast Asia yesterday afternoon (04), where he paid homage and received blessings.
The President received a warm and heartfelt welcome from the Vietnamese people, who had gathered near the entrance of the temple, waving the national flags of both Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
A large crowd lined the pathway within the temple grounds to catch a glimpse of the Sri Lankan President, expressing their respect and goodwill by waving the two nations’ flags.
Upon reaching the main Buddha shrine, President Disnayake paid his respects. The resident monks then chanted Seth Pirith and invoked blessings on the President.
Subsequently, the President paid homage at the Sri Maha Bodhi sapling on the temple grounds, a sacred branch from the Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, which was gifted to the Bai Dinh Pagoda and planted there in 2023.
The outer wall constructed around the sacred Bodhi under the technical guidance of Sri Lanka’s Central Cultural Fund was also officially declared open by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on this occasion.
Later the President planted a sapling of the sacred Sal tree within the temple premises, and observed the commemorative plaque marking the occasion.
As a gesture of reverence, President Disanayake presented a memento to the Chief Incumbent of the temple.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, along with other members of the Sri Lankan delegation, were also present for the occasion.
(President’s Media Division)
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20 years since the murder of ‘Taraki’ (Pics)
Journalists and civil society members gathered in Jaffna on April 28 to mark 20 years since the assassination of renowned Tamil journalist and editor Dharmeratnam “Taraki” Sivaram.
The commemoration, jointly organised by the Jaffna Press Club, the Eastern Province Journalists Association, and the Professional Online Journalists Association, took place at the memorial for murdered journalists on Main Street, Jaffna.
Candles were lit and floral tributes were laid before portraits of Sivaram and fellow journalist Selvarajah Rajivarman, who was also murdered on the same date two years later.
Sivaram, a former senior editor at TamilNet, was abducted in Colombo on April 28, 2005 and was later found murdered near Parliament. Despite international condemnation and demands for accountability, his killers have never been brought to justice.
Ahead of the commemoration, a media briefing was also held at the Jaffna Press Club.
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