By Maheesha Mudugamuwa
The future of state-owned Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) hangs in the balance after President Maithripala Sirisena last week issued a gazette notification taking SLRC under the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Minister of Health, Nutrition, and Indigenous Medicine Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that the United National Party (UNP) is contemplating legal action over the President’s move while the Election Commission (EC) said that it will be keeping a close watch on the developments.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, civil rights activist Purawesi Balaya Co-convener Gamini Viyangoda stressed that before coming into power, the President had vowed that he would not misuse his executive powers, but he is now acting contrary to what he had assured.
“The takeover of SLRC sets a bad precedent and it is contrary to the promises made by the Government. They promised us maximum media freedom and now there is a threat, especially after SLRC was brought under the purview of the MoD,” he added.
The President brought SLRC under the Defence Ministry through an Extraordinary Gazette Notification last Monday (9) night.
Abrupt action
Non-Cabinet Minister of Mass Media Ruwan Wijewardene raised serious concerns as the move was made close to an election. The Minister also raised the question of whether the President took over the SLRC to influence the polls or if it was a precursor to another coup like the one in October 2018.
He said the President had rejected four names that were proposed for the Chairman’s post of SLRC before his sudden decision to place the state-owned television station under the MoD.
Wijewardene, who is also the State Minister of Defence, stressed that from March up to this month, he had repeatedly tried to appoint a new Chairman to the SLRC, but the President rejected all the names he put forward.
“Then, he abruptly took over SLRC with no consultation with the subject Minister,” Wijewardene told reporters at a press briefing, adding that the President’s action was against democratic institutions in the country as well as the freedom of the media.
“I strongly condemn this action and, as a matter of principle, I am against a media institution being placed under the Defence Ministry,” he stated at a press conference held on Wednesday (11) at the Department of Government Information.
According to Wijewardene, the SLRC had fallen in the ranks among other TV stations in the country to sixth position, and the Treasury had to give money to pay the salaries of its staff.
“We had to ask for Rs. 450 million to pay salaries. This is a burden on the public of this country. The Finance Minister had said the Treasury can’t keep giving millions all the time unless there is a turnaround at the Corporation,” he said.
Muddy appointment
Meanwhile, at a media briefing held at SLRC on Thursday (12), to counter the allegations made by Minister Wijewardene, SLRC Chairperson Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda said the administration of the SLRC could have collapsed if the President had not taken the Corporation under the Defence Ministry.
Praising President Sirisena for taking immediate action, Keerthinanda stressed that people should focus on the reasons which led to his decision to take over the SLRC.
According to her, she was appointed to the post by then Cabinet Minister of Media Mangala Samaraweera.
“However, several new appointments were made for chairmanship recently and they had not been accepted by a President-appointed committee. The latest chairman appointment was made last Friday (6), where ITN Acting Director Kalum Palitha Mahirathna was appointed. None of us were informed about the appointment.
“I asked the President through one of his officers, a member of the said committee, and the Media Ministry Secretary about the appointment. None of them were aware of it. There was no legality to handover my duty to him since he didn’t have proper documents except for Non-Cabinet Media Minister Ruwan Wijewardene’s letter,” she explained.
She rejected the allegations that Rupavahini’s standard and rank had gone down. According to Keerthinanda, the rank increased to six from its previous eighth place.
Vital role in upcoming election
Free Media Movement (FMM) Convener C. Dodawatte told The Sunday Morning that the SLRC issue should be looked at from the viewpoint of how the state media should act and what its responsibility is.
At present, it is clear that all those moves taken and the ongoing discussions are based on political agendas, with both sides trying to keep the state-owned television company under their purview as it would help in influencing the public when the election comes, he stressed.
This should be changed and the all media organisations should be given the sole authority to act independently, Dodawatta noted. “They should do public service journalism, and not what is in line with the Government’s political agendas,” he added.
Meanwhile, evaluating the present situation, People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi stressed that even though the President’s decision could not be challenged as it was not an election offence, it was very clear that the move was taken to ensure that the state-owned media organisation would act as per his wishes.
“The move was taken before an election was declared, but everybody knows that there will be an election in November and all political parties are preparing for the election,” he added.
Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) President Lasantha Ruhunage too condemned the move, claiming that the decision would badly affect the media freedom of the country.
SLRC had never been placed under the Ministry of Defence under any circumstances and with the new move, the President had misused the powers vested in him by the Constitution, he stated.
“Usually, all media organisations should be placed under the purview of the Media Ministry and even if it is placed under some other ministry other than the Defence, it’s totally wrong,” Ruhunuge stressed.
The future of state-owned Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) hangs in the balance after President Maithripala Sirisena last week issued a gazette notification taking SLRC under the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Minister of Health, Nutrition, and Indigenous Medicine Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that the United National Party (UNP) is contemplating legal action over the President’s move while the Election Commission (EC) said that it will be keeping a close watch on the developments.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, civil rights activist Purawesi Balaya Co-convener Gamini Viyangoda stressed that before coming into power, the President had vowed that he would not misuse his executive powers, but he is now acting contrary to what he had assured.
“The takeover of SLRC sets a bad precedent and it is contrary to the promises made by the Government. They promised us maximum media freedom and now there is a threat, especially after SLRC was brought under the purview of the MoD,” he added.
The President brought SLRC under the Defence Ministry through an Extraordinary Gazette Notification last Monday (9) night.
Abrupt action
Non-Cabinet Minister of Mass Media Ruwan Wijewardene raised serious concerns as the move was made close to an election. The Minister also raised the question of whether the President took over the SLRC to influence the polls or if it was a precursor to another coup like the one in October 2018.
He said the President had rejected four names that were proposed for the Chairman’s post of SLRC before his sudden decision to place the state-owned television station under the MoD.
Wijewardene, who is also the State Minister of Defence, stressed that from March up to this month, he had repeatedly tried to appoint a new Chairman to the SLRC, but the President rejected all the names he put forward.
“Then, he abruptly took over SLRC with no consultation with the subject Minister,” Wijewardene told reporters at a press briefing, adding that the President’s action was against democratic institutions in the country as well as the freedom of the media.
“I strongly condemn this action and, as a matter of principle, I am against a media institution being placed under the Defence Ministry,” he stated at a press conference held on Wednesday (11) at the Department of Government Information.
According to Wijewardene, the SLRC had fallen in the ranks among other TV stations in the country to sixth position, and the Treasury had to give money to pay the salaries of its staff.
“We had to ask for Rs. 450 million to pay salaries. This is a burden on the public of this country. The Finance Minister had said the Treasury can’t keep giving millions all the time unless there is a turnaround at the Corporation,” he said.
Muddy appointment
Meanwhile, at a media briefing held at SLRC on Thursday (12), to counter the allegations made by Minister Wijewardene, SLRC Chairperson Inoka Sathyangani Keerthinanda said the administration of the SLRC could have collapsed if the President had not taken the Corporation under the Defence Ministry.
Praising President Sirisena for taking immediate action, Keerthinanda stressed that people should focus on the reasons which led to his decision to take over the SLRC.
According to her, she was appointed to the post by then Cabinet Minister of Media Mangala Samaraweera.
“However, several new appointments were made for chairmanship recently and they had not been accepted by a President-appointed committee. The latest chairman appointment was made last Friday (6), where ITN Acting Director Kalum Palitha Mahirathna was appointed. None of us were informed about the appointment.
“I asked the President through one of his officers, a member of the said committee, and the Media Ministry Secretary about the appointment. None of them were aware of it. There was no legality to handover my duty to him since he didn’t have proper documents except for Non-Cabinet Media Minister Ruwan Wijewardene’s letter,” she explained.
She rejected the allegations that Rupavahini’s standard and rank had gone down. According to Keerthinanda, the rank increased to six from its previous eighth place.
Vital role in upcoming election
Free Media Movement (FMM) Convener C. Dodawatte told The Sunday Morning that the SLRC issue should be looked at from the viewpoint of how the state media should act and what its responsibility is.
At present, it is clear that all those moves taken and the ongoing discussions are based on political agendas, with both sides trying to keep the state-owned television company under their purview as it would help in influencing the public when the election comes, he stressed.
This should be changed and the all media organisations should be given the sole authority to act independently, Dodawatta noted. “They should do public service journalism, and not what is in line with the Government’s political agendas,” he added.
Meanwhile, evaluating the present situation, People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi stressed that even though the President’s decision could not be challenged as it was not an election offence, it was very clear that the move was taken to ensure that the state-owned media organisation would act as per his wishes.
“The move was taken before an election was declared, but everybody knows that there will be an election in November and all political parties are preparing for the election,” he added.
Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) President Lasantha Ruhunage too condemned the move, claiming that the decision would badly affect the media freedom of the country.
SLRC had never been placed under the Ministry of Defence under any circumstances and with the new move, the President had misused the powers vested in him by the Constitution, he stated.
“Usually, all media organisations should be placed under the purview of the Media Ministry and even if it is placed under some other ministry other than the Defence, it’s totally wrong,” Ruhunuge stressed.