By Shamindra Ferdinando

Top Opposition spokesman Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday (27) warned of a major government offensive against the media to neutralise print and electronic media ahead of the presidential election scheduled for next year.

The former External Affairs Minister told a media briefing at the SLPP rebel group’s Nawala office that the proposed creation of a Broadcasting Regulatory Commission for electronic media, Online Safety Bill and Commission of Inquiry headed by retired Chief Justice Priyasath Dep, PC, posed a threat to media freedom.

The former Law Professor said that Dep’s 10-member Commission that had been tasked to thoroughly review all current election laws and regulations, conduct investigations, inquiries and assessments and subsequently make recommendations for essential amendments to align these laws with contemporary requirements was also asked to make recommendations as regards the media.

Prof. Peiris questioned the rationale in Dep’s Commission asked to submit recommendations pertaining to media. The government has said that the Commission would make recommendations for the formulation of media standards to guide the appropriate use of media by political parties and independent groups. The Commission has been entrusted with completing this comprehensive process within a six-month timeframe.

The Commission consists of retired Justice Priyasath Dep, PC, Suntharam Arumainayaham, Senanayake Alisandaralage, Nalin Jayantha Abeysekara, PC, Rajitha Naveen Christopher Senaratna Perera, Ahamed Lebbe Mohamed Saleem, Ms. Sagarica Delgoda, Ms. Esther Sriyani Nimalka Fernando, Vitharanage Deepani Samantha Rodrigo and Alan Carmichael David.

Referring to the stalled Online Safety Bill, Prof. Peiris said that 51 petitions had been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of that Bill. A three-member bench of Supreme Court judges in terms of Article 120 of the Constitution declared that sections 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13,14, 15,16,17,18,19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26,27,28,29, 30,31, 32, 36, 37, 42, 45, 53 and 56 could be approved as mentioned in the Bill, if passed by a special majority of two-third including the absent Members of the Parliament, according to the provisions mentioned in Article 84(2) of the Constitution.

Prof. Peiris said that if the said articles were amended at the committee stage as proposed by the Supreme Court the Bill could be passed by a simple majority.

The National List MP said that the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government seemed hell-bent on neutralizing the media at any cost.