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State media fight Sri Lanka poll body after takeover
Colombo, Mar 30: Sri Lanka`s state-run media challenged election laws in court today, a day after the Elections Commission took it over following charges it favoured the president`s party for general election.
Colombo, Mar 30: Sri Lanka's state-run media challenged election laws in court today, a day after the Elections Commission took it over following charges it favoured the president's party for general election.
The state television and radio said they were objecting to the takeover by a ''competent authority'' appointed by and based at the independent Elections Commission.
''The appointment (of a competent authority) has to be upon finding of evidence of abuse. But he (the elections commissioner) hasn't even indicated what the abuses were, let alone try and back it up,'' said Harim Peiris, chairman of state television and a spokesman for president Chandrika Kumaratunga.
Kumaratunga took over state media last November in a feud with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe over how to handle peace efforts with Tamil Tiger rebels to end a 20-year Civil War. She replaced officials with those loyal to her and state media has been dogged by allegations of bias throughout the campaign, which pits her united people's freedom alliance in a neck-and-neck race with Wickremesinghe's United National Party.
But sections of private media are owned by relatives of Wickremesinghe, prompting a poll watchdog backed by the freedom alliance to charge that the Elections Commission takeover ''smacks of discrimination, if not partiality''.
''The appointment of a censor, under whatever pretext or purported legal authority, is a blow to media freedom,'' the freedom polls watch said in a statement. Other sources said today's court petition would only challenge specific elections guidelines that impose a blackout on campaign advertising 72 hours ahead of the election, but Peiris said the petition was broader than that.
''Essentially the commission has not given due process to the state media and his action was arbitrary -- that's what the petition to the court says,'' Peiris said.
Whatever the outcome of the court challenge, the wrangling over media in a tight election race only adds to acrimony between Kumaratunga and Wickremesinghe at a time when polls show their parties may be forced to work together following Friday's vote.
Neither party is likely to win a majority in parliament, and with Kumaratunga retaining the executive presidency, the parties will have to cooperate in order to restart stalled peace talks with the Tigers.
Bureau Report
''The appointment (of a competent authority) has to be upon finding of evidence of abuse. But he (the elections commissioner) hasn't even indicated what the abuses were, let alone try and back it up,'' said Harim Peiris, chairman of state television and a spokesman for president Chandrika Kumaratunga.
Kumaratunga took over state media last November in a feud with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe over how to handle peace efforts with Tamil Tiger rebels to end a 20-year Civil War. She replaced officials with those loyal to her and state media has been dogged by allegations of bias throughout the campaign, which pits her united people's freedom alliance in a neck-and-neck race with Wickremesinghe's United National Party.
But sections of private media are owned by relatives of Wickremesinghe, prompting a poll watchdog backed by the freedom alliance to charge that the Elections Commission takeover ''smacks of discrimination, if not partiality''.
''The appointment of a censor, under whatever pretext or purported legal authority, is a blow to media freedom,'' the freedom polls watch said in a statement. Other sources said today's court petition would only challenge specific elections guidelines that impose a blackout on campaign advertising 72 hours ahead of the election, but Peiris said the petition was broader than that.
''Essentially the commission has not given due process to the state media and his action was arbitrary -- that's what the petition to the court says,'' Peiris said.
Whatever the outcome of the court challenge, the wrangling over media in a tight election race only adds to acrimony between Kumaratunga and Wickremesinghe at a time when polls show their parties may be forced to work together following Friday's vote.
Neither party is likely to win a majority in parliament, and with Kumaratunga retaining the executive presidency, the parties will have to cooperate in order to restart stalled peace talks with the Tigers.
Bureau Report