SLFP strongmen on waiting list for TV station licences
By Harinda Vidanage
The demand for licenses to operate television and Radio stations have seen a sudden increase after the Telecommunications regulatory committee was taken over of the by President Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Among the applicants in the waiting list are SLFP party members and prominent businessmen. A team comprising of three SLFP strongmen comprising Nimal Siripala de Silva, Athauda Seneviratne and former Presidential Secretary K. Balapatabedi are making a strong claim for a license The Sunday Times learns.
The Television channel named 'Ru Ras has been a part of the SLFP research and development section for a long time.

Earlier this year a team led by Athauda Seneviratne and his son Dr. Parakrama Atahuda attempted to start a television channel on behalf of the SLFP. The team also included multi million businessman Roger Godaliyadde one time chief financier of the Nijabima newspaper and Ajith Gallage who subsequently fell out with the SLFP leadership.

Though earlier President Kumaratunga had assured them of securing a license from the TRC with some funding from a Chinese company but later differences of opinion led to the project being abandoned.

Also in the running for a TV and Radio station license is Mahinda Ramanayake another prominent businessman. The Sunday Times learns that Mangala Samaraweera and Dilan Perera have also made formal requests. SLFP party sources told the Sunday Times that they fear these licenses may end up in the UNP camps later and they also envisage the emergence of scandals over the licenses like that of the Channel 9 affair.

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