News
Govt. intimidates media by pulling out advertising – SJB MP
The Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration was trying to intimidate media institutions by threatening to pull out government advertisements, SJB MP Manusha Nanayakkara yesterday told Parliament.
Tabling a circular issued by Dr. P. B. Jayasundera, the Secretary to the President on canceling advertisements given to media institutions, the SJB MP said it was an attempt to undermine the independence of the media. Nanayakkara said that advertisements were a major source of revenue for media institutions and that around 40% of the revenue media earned across the world come from government advertisements.
“Now government ads only go to media that toe the government line. Or, they go to state owned media institutions. I urge the government to introduce a mechanism to ensure government advertisements are distributed across all media institutions. This is important to ensure competitiveness in the industry. Some media institutions have other sources of income but not all of them have that luxury,” he told parliament.
Nanayakkara said that the government wanted to bring in laws to supress media institutions. Ideally the government must ensure the freedom of expression and the protection of journalists through legislation. “But the government is more interested in coming up with laws to punish independent media institutions and journalists. There must be a mechanism that encourages self regulation. Print media institutions themselves established the Press Institute and Press Complaints Commission as a self regulating mechanisms and these have worked. However the government wants to bring in institutions that act like the police.”
The SJB MP added that electronic media institutions too needed a self-regulatory mechanism. The previous government had drafted laws to establish such mechanisms but the current administration wanted to bring in laws to suppress web-based media by introducing new laws within two weeks,” Nanayakkara said.
Members of the Civil Security Department have donated a day’s salary to the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by cyclone Ditwah.
Accordingly, a cheque amounting to Rs. 40,870,686 was handed over on Thursday (22) at the Presidential Secretariat by the District Officer of the Civil Security Department G.Y.B. Perera to Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Ravi Seneviratne and Director General of the Civil Security Department, Major General Palitha Fernando (Retired), were also present on the occasion.
The Colombo Stock Exchange (GL 12) has contributed LKR 25 million to the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund.
The cheque was handed over to the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake by the Chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange, Dimuthu Abeyesekera, the Chief Executive Officer Rajeeva Bandaranaike and Senior Vice Chairman Kusal Nissanka at the Presidential Secretariat.
News
Karu argues against scrapping MPs’ pension as many less fortunate members entered Parliament after ’56
Former Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressing concerns over the proposed abolition of MPs’ pensions.The letter was sent in his capacity as Patron of the Former Parliamentarians’ Caucus.
In his letter, Jayasuriya noted that at the time of Sri Lanka’s independence, political participation was largely limited to an educated, affluent land-owning elite. However, he said a significant social transformation took place after 1956, enabling ordinary citizens to enter politics.
He warned that under current conditions, removing parliamentary pensions would effectively confine politics to the wealthy, business interests, individuals engaged in illicit income-generating activities, and well-funded political parties. Such a move, he said, would discourage honest social workers and individuals of modest means from entering public life.
Jayasuriya also pointed out that while a small number of former MPs, including himself, use their pensions for social and charitable purposes, the majority rely on the pension as a primary source of income.
He urged the President to give due consideration to the matter and take appropriate action, particularly as the government prepares to draft a new constitution.The Bill seeking to abolish pensions for Members of Parliament was presented to Parliament on 07 January by Minister of Justice and National Integration Dr. Harshana Nanayakkara.
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