SubarathI Programme used as a government political meeting

“Misuse of state media in violation of election law takes place on a daily basis. The election commissioner, the opposition candidates and the election monitoring organizations should effectively intervene to stop this abuse.”

- SLBC Watch

(January 04, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The shameless abuse of the Election law by the Subarathi Programme of the SLBC was a direct propaganda programme on behalf of Mahinda Rajapakse, the government’s presidential candidate. The programme was political speech by the government’s minister, Champika Ranavake. The programme was directed by Indika Jayaratne and presented by Janaka Sumith Bandara.

This speaker spent a long time answering the opposition’s allegations of Pavul vadaya – nepotism. He was made a long description of the president’s brothers and relatives to demonstrate that they are all well qualified persons who deserve the positions they hold. A great deal of media time was spent to glorify these personalities.

In what was very much like a speech in a political meeting, the speaker then spent a long time in an attempt to demonstrate that the allegations of corruption against the government were false. He went on to say that it was, in fact, the UNP that has been involved in corruption.

The minister called for gratitude to be shown on the part of the people for the president by voting for him. Not voting for him was presented as an act of ingratitude on the part of the voters. People, he said, will treat the president as a king on January 26th.

The election campaign of the opposition was presented as a massive conspiracy against the nation.

The state media is now been used as a government political meeting to canvass support for Mahinda Rajapakse, the incumbent president.

Misuse of state media in violation of election law takes place on a daily basis. The election commissioner, the opposition candidates and the election monitoring organizations should effectively intervene to stop this abuse.

The opposition should take this matter to court and also organize protest against such blatant abuse of public media by the SLBC.