Lanka Citizen

From the Sunday Times politics column (07.08.2005), commenting on the 20 milllion rupee cost of publishing CBK, Chandrika’s first ‘authrozied’ then disowned biogrpahy:

“The UNP committed the same mistake when in office commissioning the likes of Earl Gray (no, he was no aristocrat Earl, just a card-carrying member of the Conservative Party , who was paid close to a Rs. 1 million a month through some World Bank grant to work for then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. He was Wickremesinghe’s political consultant, speech-writer, campaign manager, peace secretariat consultant and head of the UNP media unit. He would spend three weeks in Colombo and one in London each month.

Gray, together with two other foreign nationals Jim Robertson and Ashley were his assistants, managing the Rs. 800 million advertising budget and even tasked with drafting the UNP manifesto. So, now we know why the UNP lost.

There were no biographies at the time, but even foreign advertising agencies like Bateys was commissioned to promote Sri Lanka tourism - ask any travel agency what work they did at the rate of US $ 2 million per year. Like in quickly having her memoirs out in book form, the President is in a hurry to wrap up some deals as well — of course, all this is for the country.”

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An excerpt from the Electoral Manifesto of the Liberal Party of Sri Lanka

5) Media Reform

A free media is necessary for a democratic society. Censorship of the media in Sri Lanka in the 1970s and the 1980s went hand in hand with authoritarian practices. The opening up in the nineties of opportunities for independent newspapers and radio and television stations marked the return to democratic norms, and it is heartening that there has been no institutional attempt to reimpose controls. However there are signs of resentment at criticism, while abuse of the state media continues, even though all experience indicates that this is counter productive.

It would therefore be useful to strengthen media independence and to remove the temptation any government experiences to flatter itself, often to the detriment of a realistic assessment of its performance.

The Liberal Party therefore advocates the following reforms –
1. The right of information to be included in the Constitution, with very clear justiciable provisions as to whether and to what extent censorship may be imposed.

2. The right of privacy to be included in the Constitution.

3. The enactment of a Freedom of Information Act whereby disclosure shall become the norm and the circumstances in which, in the interests of national security, official secrecy shall be maintained will be clearly set out.

4. Strengthening of the law to provide for the confidentiality of the sources of journalists.

5. The enactment of Legislation to ensure to any person the right of reply, with equal weightage for such reply.

6.
a. The abolition of the Press Council and its replacement by an independent Media Council.
b. The Media Council will have authority to ensure the following objectives:
i. The freedom and independence of the media in Sri Lanka, print and electronic
ii. The right of citizens to be informed freely, truthfully and objectively on all matters of public interest, national and international
iii. A fair presentation in the media of news on questions of national importance
iv. Restraint on the divisive expression of prejudices based on ethnicity, religion, language, caste or sex
v. The establishment where necessary of common services for the supply and dissemination of news
vi. Research into the use and needs of the media, to keep under review developments likely to restrict the supply of information of public interest and developments in the media which may tend towards concentration and monopoly, and to suggest appropriate remedial measures
vii. Broadbased advice to the Government on any matter pertaining to the regulation of the media
viii. Fair and equitable availability of newsprint and other requiremen

7. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. (Special Provisions) Act shall be repealed and Lake House will be converted into a share company with special rights initially to employees.
8. Rupavahini and SLBC to be vested in an Independent Broadcasting Authority while the Government Owned Business Undertaking of the Independent Television Network (ITN) will be privatized.

9. The extension of greater freedom to establish private channels on radio and television and to broadcast programmes of choice including news and current affairs.

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