• Private TV defy ban 
• Limited security for others 
• Monitors to monitor election monitors 
• Food crisis after fall of Madhu 

Presidential polls coverage

Private TV defy ban

Minister Amunugama takes over as chief media supervisor 

By Shelani de Silva

The call for a curb came at a meeting with Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Special Assignments Minister Sarath Amunugama where the private electronic media were told that other than news coverage they should not telecast or broadcast interviews, talk shows or other programmes that might serve as propaganda material for any candidate. 

It was also stated that political advertising by candidates on private TV or radio stations would be prohibited. This was being done on the basis that state television Rupavahini and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation were giving equal time for all candidates to explain their plans and policies.

Dr. Amunugama told The Sunday Times yesterday the Government had decided to appoint a monitoring committee to regulate election coverage on private TV stations. He said he would head the committee and was awaiting guidelines from the Commissioner of Elections.

Dr. Amunugama said the committee would include representatives of private and State electronic media groups.

Under the terms of the licence issued to the private electronic media, a monitoring committee could be appointed to monitor programmes, he said. It would monitor even the State media. 

Dr. Amunugama denied charges that the Government was imposing censorship on private channels.

TNL News Director Namal Perera told The Sunday Times they were going ahead with all their political programmes since they believed they were not violating any laws. 

"The Elections Commissioner can send a directive but a minister cannot monitor private channels. We have programmes where presidential candidates are invited. Last week we invited President Kumaratunga for a discussions. All candidates will be given equal time. We will continue with our programmes because we believe we are not doing anything illegal or against the election laws," he said referring to reports that one of Minister Amunugama's special assignments would be to closely monitor polls coverage on private TV and radio stations. 

He said Mr. Samaraweera and Dr. Amunugama were trying to act on laws which were enacted before private TV and radio stations became fully operational.

Therefore he felt such laws needed to be updated. He also reminded the PA government that Ms. Kumaratunga as an ordinary candidate had got two hours of TV time on TNL during the 1994 campaign. 

Swarnawahini Programmes Director Rosmund Senaratne also said they would be continuing with their programme though the new developments were being studied. 

He said any curbs would be a violation of independent media policy and he called on all private TV and radio stations to take a common stand.

Sirasa and MTV Programmes Director Nimal Lakshapathirarachchi said that as a company policy, they had stopped political programmes six months ago with politics coming only on the news bulletins.

He said they would, however, take commercial from any candidates. 

Rupavahini Chairman D E W Gunesekera said 90 minutes would be given to each candidate and all other political programmes were being stopped. He said they were even imposing curbs on commercial advertising where any thing similar to party symbols was being displayed. 

The state television chief however admitted there was some confusion regarding the election law on programmes and he felt that clarification and amendments were necessary. 

Meanwhile the Free Media Movement and the international press freedom group Article XIX have written to the Media Minister objecting to any curbs on election coverage by private TV and radio stations. 

"We would consider it a most serious act of censorship which threatens the very core of the democratic process in Sri Lanka. If the media including the privately owned electronic media are not free to report on the issues and personalities of the election campaign, then the individuals who constitute the electorate will be denied their fundamental right to make an informed choice regarding their future government," Article XIX said in a strongly-worded statement. 

Limited security for others

By Leon Berenger

The move follows a request by one candidate for security following the grenade attack on a UNP rally at Eppawela last week. 

They said a decision would be taken on Tuesday at a top level police conference chaired by the IGP. At present only President Kumaratunga and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe are covered by State security. The sources said only limited security could be provided to others since the resources, both men and material, within the Police department were limited. Moreover these candidates were exposed little threats compared to the main candidates.

They said they were not sure whether the JVP candidate for instance would accept Police security though there were threats.

Another frightening reality is that thousands of unregistered firearms continue to exchange hands in the under world, and these could be easily hired to intimidate, if not silence political opponents, the sources said.

Monitors to monitor election monitors

At a meeting last Thursday with the Acting Commissioner D. M. P. B. Dassanayake, secretaries of all several parties urged him to invite international monitors, but PA General Secretary D.M. Jayaratne objected on the basis that some election monitors at recent polls were biased.

"I explained our position to the commissioner. This has been proved in the past. However he did not take a decision but will consult the other parties," Mr. Jayaratne told The Sunday Times. He was referring to the case where one of the groups, the Centre for Monitoring Elections Violence was accused by the PA of overplaying violence and trying to create a panic situation.

As an alternative, the PA has suggested an authority appointed by the commissioner to monitor the monitors. But others say this could lead to double work and overlapping. 

Meanwhile the UNP and the JVP have decided to invite monitors, alleging that PA elements were preparing for mass rigging as in the notorious Wayamba polls. At least two other candidates, Abdul Rasul and Ariyawansa Dissanayake said they also wanted international monitors. 

Meanwhile the biggest monitoring group PAFFREL has decided to go ahead with plans to monitor the polls despite objections by the PA, its executive director Kingsley Rodrigo said.

He said that PAFFREL hoped to bring down 60 international monitors and send at least half of them to the North and East after coordinating the strategy with election officials and candidates. 

He said they had no objection to monitors to monitor the monitors, but added it would create confusion while the PA Polls Watch group was already playing a similar role.

Food crisis after fall of Madhu

By Chris Kamalendran

The Madhu church and areas surrounding it have been recaptured by the LTTE amidst reports of large displacement of people in Madhu and Vavuniya during the past 48 hours.

The Bishop told The Sunday Times the people were facing hardships and they had made an appeal to the government to send immeidate relief. He said more than 4000 people displaced during the past few days had taken refuge around the Madhu shrine. 

The Defence Ministry reported heavy fighting in Wanni with more than 100 rebels and soldiers being killed. 

Meanwhile on Thursday around 6p.m. the LTTE launched an artillery attack in Vavuniya where shells had fallen in city limits, killing at least three civilians, including a ten year old girl, and injuring two others.

During the past few days, the LTTE has been making contradictory statements, telling people to leave and then to return and to leave again — causing chaos and panic. The situation in the Vavuniya town has not returned to normal and only a few shops had opened up so far, residents said.

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