A newspaper headlines the presidential poll but journalists fear it will not be fair following President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to put state-run TV channels under the control of the Ministry of Defense. (Photo by Lakruwan Wanniarachchi/AFP)
Journalists in Sri Lanka have called on President Maithripala Sirisena to reverse his decision to put key television channels into the hands of the government ahead of his attempt to win re-election in November.
Sirisena used his presidential powers to announce on Sept. 9 that the state-run Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) was being placed under the control of the Ministry of Defense.
The alarm among media personnel was summed up by one senior journalist and human rights activist, Ranidu Mansal Fernando, who condemned the decision in the strongest terms.
“This decision taken by the president is a violation of people’s rights,” he said. “The SLRC had never been taken under the Ministry of Defense, even during three decades of war. We stand with our colleagues in calling for the decision to be reversed immediately.”
Media watchdogs also weighed in, saying the move threatened the independence of influential TV channels ahead of the poll.
The Free Media Movement (FMM), a watchdog organization of the country’s journalists, condemned the takeover of state television. The group said it was even more worrying given that the country was in the run-up to a presidential election.
FMM said that it was further concerned the decision had been taken by a president who had come into power promising good governance and with a pledge to not abuse his constitutional powers.
“The Free Media Movement recognizes that any election will only become a free and fair election, in particular with regard to the national executive and the legislature, when information is available through an unbiased, impartial media system to voters to make an independent decision,” said an FMM convenor, C. Dodawatta.
He called on the president and the government to immediately revoke the TV takeover and to guarantee a free and fair election.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the world’s largest organization of journalists — it represents 600,000 media professionals in 140 countries — also called on President Sirisena to reverse his decision.
“The decision by President Sirisena to use presidential powers regarding the purview of the SLRC raises serious concerns about the independence of the state-run broadcaster, particularly with elections in the coming months,” it said.
Many see the move as a result of an ongoing dispute between President Sirisena and the government headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
A decade of deaths and disappearances
Journalists accuse the president of totally unethical conduct and recalled his government's promise to give justice to relatives of those who disappeared or were killed.
There have been 138 cases of attacks on journalists and media institutes over the past decade. According to the International Committee to Protect Journalists, 16 journalists and media workers have been killed since 2005.
One man who immediately confirmed his candidacy for president was Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a former defense secretary and the brother of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Yet, during his decade in power from 2005-15, 11 journalists were killed and their cases remain unsolved amid ongoing concern over sinister political interference.
The Federation of Media Employees' Trade Union (FMETU) said that taking over TV channels ahead of an election was a misappropriation of state property for political purposes.
“Our federation demands that the chairman of the Election Commission, as a part of its responsibility to hold free and fair elections, should express its view over the matter,” said FMETU.
“We, as a federation fighting for media freedom, have always maintained the opinion that media organizations funded by public funds should be changed to public service media institutions because, without doing so, there can be no certainty that those institutes will not be abused by those in power for their advantage.”
The Election Commission announced on Sept. 18 that the presidential poll would be held on Nov. 16 and that the names of candidates needed to be submitted by Oct. 7.
There is a widespread feeling that voters will demand a strong leader to establish national security after the deadly Easter Sunday attacks.
The ruling United National Front is wracked by internal divisions and did not announce a candidate in the days following the commission’s announcement.
Rights groups accuse Rajapaksa of being implicated in the disappearance of several journalists and he has been questioned over one missing reporter, Prageeth Eknaligoda.
The country is ranked 126 out of 180 countries this year in the World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders.