News
Media associations condemn govt. bid to ban TV programme
The Federation of Media Employees Trade Unions yesterday (22) strongly condemned what it called the ongoing attempts to abuse parliamentary privileges to ban TV programme ‘Televakiya’ and to intimidate its editor Lal Hemantha Mawalage attached to the ‘Siyatha’ Media Network.
The following is the statement issued by Dharmasiri Lankapeli, General Secretary of the grouping: “The Televakiya is a current affairs programme that has become immensely popular among TV audiences in recent times for its bold stance in criticising the wrongdoings of the government. In retaliation , the government is now trying to make use of the provisions in the Parliament Powers and Privileges Act to muzzle the media by summoning journalists before Parliament Privileges Committee to question and institute legal actions against them. This highhanded act tantamounts to a serious threat against the freedom of expression. Lal Hemantha Mawalage is a senior journalist who started his career in broadcasting at the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation.
Since the beginning of hids career at SLR C on Dec 28, 2008 he worked hard to stand against unjust and corruption. Because of his work, he had once come under a brutal attack launched by Mervyn Silva, a cabinet minister of the Mahinda Rajapaksa government. Mawalage had to flee the country to save his life following the attack. Up until now, there is no formal investigation conducted by successive governmens to bring the culprits before justice. We urge President Ranil Wickremesinghe to immediately bring to a halt the suppression of the media and journalists and remind him and his government that it is their duty to bring justice to journalists who had been killed, maimed and become victims of enforced disappearances in the recent years. We, the Federation of Media Employees Trade Unions, emphasise that freedom of speech is a foundation of a democratic society, is a powerful value to social, economic, and political freedom.
The FMETU is a member organisation of the International Federation of Journalists is the world’s most powerful media organization with a membership of more than 600,000 journalists from 146 countries, and 167 media organidations, and we jointly urge the government to stop immediately the attempts to make use of powers to parliament to gag journalists. We also call on people’s representatives in Parliament to oppose the government’s plans to punish the ‘Siyatha’ Televakiya, which stands for the traditional characteristics of Public Service Journalism.
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.
Five suspects, including former Minister Johnston Fernando and his two sons, who were arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), were further remanded until 30 January by the Wattala Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
The former Minister’s , sons Johan Fernando and Jerome Kenneth Fernando, and two others, were arrested in connection with the alleged misuse of a Sathosa vehicle during Fernando’s tenure as Minister.
Investigations are currently underway into the alleged misuse of state property, including a lorry belonging to Lanka Sathosa, which reportedly caused a significant financial loss to the state.
In connection with the same incident, Indika Ratnamalala, who served as the Transport Manager of Sathosa during
Fernando’s tenure as Minister of Co-operatives and Internal Trade, was arrested on 04 January.
After being produced before the Wattala Magistrate’s Court, he was ordered to be remanded in custody until 09 January.The former Sathosa Transport Manager was remanded on charges of falsifying documents.
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