A journalist and a school teacher were the winners of the National Integrity Awards 2008 organized by Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) ont Tuesday. Thusitha Pitigala, an investigative journalist at Sirisa TV and S. Priyantha Fernando, a government school teacher from Anuradhapura were the recipients of the awards for their illustrative depictions of corruption, receiving them from Transparency International founder Dr. Peter Eigen. The officer in charge at the Potuhera police station, Deshabandu Senaratne won a special mention.
The winners of the anti-corruption cartoon competition in the adult category were K.D. Uday Preethi Sampath, M.M.D.M. Deleepa Dolawantha and M.H.A. Shantha Weeramuni. The youth category winners were Pasan Manuja Maddumage, Dananga Ishari Fernando and B.P.C. Janaki Dayananda. At the ceremony, TISL Executive Director J.C. Weliamuna said an unfortunate trend has set in Sri Lanka to silence dissent and that intolerance of free opinion is felt all over. "We have to do everything possible as a nation to arrest this trend," he said.
After almost four years of the ratification of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), Mr. Weliamuna said the Cabinet last week decided to take legislative steps to implement the convention. He asked everyone concerned about establishing transparency in governance to be vigilant and assist the government to discharge the international obligations to wipe out corruption. "We do expect genuine commitment from the government, the national and international organizations and the civil society to establish integrity in this country in all spheres." |
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