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Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe ratified the media guidelines imposed by the Elections Commission, to be followed by Electronic and Print Media during an election, today (02) at the Temple Trees. The document is due to be tabled in Parliament later today.

The Elections Commission issued the guidelines following the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, to ensure rightful exercise of franchise and a free and fair election, to be followed by all electronic and print media institutions and personnel involved.

The guideline states all telecasting, broadcasting and print media shall be neutral and impartial in their reporting of election related matters and shall not discriminate any contesting political party, independent group or a candidate, in allocating airtime and allotting space in the newspapers.

Photo: Lankadeepa

It is reported that the President is preparing to make a special statement to the media regarding the controversial report on the bond scam handed over to him on Saturday by the special Presidential Commission.

The statement is due to be issued on Wednesday (03). The president has also confirmed the news on his Twitter account.

Strict legal action will be taken against local government elections candidates in Sri Lanka who distribute monetary or material subsidies funded personally or from public money as a part of their election campaign, the Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said.

Issuing a press release, Chairman Deshapriya pointed out that according to the Elections Ordinance distributing subsidies during the election campaigning is entirely illegal and considered a case of bribing. If any public officer or government institute is to violate election laws and directives issued by the Elections Commission, action will be taken against them by the Commission, the statement said.

Public officers and politicians involved in such actions should be held responsible for the misuse of public funds, Deshapriya pointed out. “The officers of the Elections Commission will take direct action against public officers and the Commission together with the police will also make submissions for court inquiries on breach of election law and politicians could pursue election petitions against such actions,” the statement said.

The Elections Commission observes that the political parties and candidates should refrain from acts such as distributing education materials, gifts, and contributing to religious institutes. The Commission states that complaints have been lodged against such activities, stating that they are also parts of election campaigning.

The Commission has directed Divisional Secretariats and other government bodies to refrain from distributing public funded aids among people until after 15th February, 2018, as it is a prolonged habit to use these programs as a part of the election campaign. “The divisional secretariats are advised to distribute only items such as livestock, plants, seeds and similar items which are difficult to be stored. Other items, which can be stored for several days, should remain in stores until 15th February,” the statement said.

The public is also advised not to accept public funded aids as a bondage to vote a particular political party, Chairman of the Elections Commission noted. “People must understand that by right they are entitled to receive these aids from the government. They will be made aware that these aids are provided by public money.” the statement said.

The Commission also observes that any statements justifying the distribution of financial and material aid to be groundless.

The UNP claims Maithripala Sirisena was handed a double-edged sword when he was appointed as the country’s President on January 8, 2015.

According to UNP MP Thushara Indunil, this sword was handed to Sirisena to destroy all corrupted individuals. However, as of today one side of the sword has become blunt he said requesting that the President use the figurative sword to strike down crooks.

The MP made these comments while addressing a public gathering held aiming at the upcoming local government polls.

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Fraud and Corruption Commission Report Hidden Away!

The MP accused the President of hiding away the reports submitted by the fraud and corruption commission.

While the report by the Serious Fraud and Corruption Commission has also been handed over to the President that particular report has not been publicized as yet with authorities remaining silent in this regard.The Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the fraud and corruption was chaired by Court of Appeal Judge Padman Surasena and consisted of five judges.According to inquiries carried out by this commission, it has been recommended that the civic rights of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa be abolished under one charge.Investigations reports on 17 complaints handed over to President

After the commission was established, more than 2000 complaints were received, of which 400 were investigated.

Investigations have been completed regarding 17 of the complaints which have now been sent to the President.

The commision is said to have looked into various frauds committed including the Avante Garde transaction, the fraud at the Hambantota port opening ceremony, irregularities that took place at Sri Lanka Airline as well as the Irrigation and Water Supply Projects of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board.

Accordingly, the President’s office has instructed the Police Financial Crimes Division (FCID), Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption to investigate 120 complaints received.

These instructions were issued as the relevant institutions have already commenced investigations into these complaints.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General's Department has received six reports into the large-scale frauds committed to commence legal proceedings in this regard.

Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya has told the media that the charges will be framed in the near future.

‘The Sunday Times’ quoting sources said that the report of the Presidential Commission which enquired in to the controversial Central Bank bond issue has named several key figures, including a number of politicians, and has recommended that stern action is taken against them.

However, according to the paper, these are unconfirmed reports.

Meanwhile, it is reported that the President is preparing to make a special statement to the media regarding the controversial report on the bond scam handed over to him on Saturday by the special Presidential Commission.

The statement is due to be issued on Wednesday (03). The president has also confirmed the news on his Twitter account despite sources claiming that the contents of the report will not be published prior to the local government polls.

"The content of the report should be immediately revealed to the public"

 Speaking regarding the issue leader of the JVP, Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the Bond report should be publicized.

 According to the MP the President along with the SLFP ministers recently made a pledge but it is a pointless exercise and should have been made at the Presidential election. “The President must act against corruption” he stressed.

Hitting out strongly at former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his allies, Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayaka said Rajapaksa was a man who had no qualms about betraying the country to serve his family.

The Minister said his sole intention behind betraying the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and forming the flower-bud party was to find a way to bring his son, Namal Rajapaksa, to power.

"Such a man will not be reluctant to betray the country for his own benefit," Ratnayaka said, addressing a meeting in Morawaka, on Sunday (31).

The Minister added that President Maithripala Sirisena was elected the President democratically and became the Chairman of the SLFP. "Then the President took measures to rebuild the party. That was when Rajapaksa decided to divide the SLFP camp. The flower-bud party was formed not for an election, but to ensure a future for the former President's son. It will never bloom."

"Even the ones who genuinely respected Rajapaksa for the military triumph over the LTTE now find it hard to vote for the flower-bud party. They have now joined us and work for the UNP's victory," Ratnayaka said.

He said under the Rajapaksa administration, two roads were built in the Morawaka area - one for the public and one for a private property belonging to the brother in law of the former President.

"The road built for the public was washed away after a couple of rains. But the road built for the former President's brother in law remained intact. It shows the reality of their so-called development," the Minister explained, adding that the road constructed for the public was a mere eyewash aimed at hoodwinking the people before the election.

"Laying concrete or carpet on village roads is not the sole objective of development. We should empower the public - especially the less-privileged sections of the society and bridge the income gaps. That's what our government is working on," Ratnayaka added.

Sri Lanka has been ranked as first in the South Asian region in the recently published Global Food Security Index 2017, and 66th in the Global Index.

The country was named first after being compared with another 113 countries.

Bangladesh and Nepal ranked 80th and Myanmar has been reported as 81st in the index. Pakistan is at 77th, and India secured the 74th position.

The leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and chief organizer of the opposition Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has stressed that the information contained in the Presidential Commission to Investigate into the Bond issue should be disclosed to the people immediately.

If the information is not disclosed the party will request for the information through the Right to Information Act on Tuesday (02) he said.

Dissanayake said that 17 reports have been submitted through the Presidential Commissions to Investigate Financial Crimes, but none of them has been disclosed to the public. “This should not happen with the report on the bond issue,” he said.

According to Dissanayake, the public has the right to know the contents of the report regarding the controversial issue.Serious Fraud and Corruptions Commission

While the report by the Serious Fraud and Corruption Commission has also been handed over to the President that particular report has not been publicized as yet with authorities remaining silent in this regard.The Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the fraud and corruption was chaired by Court of Appeal Judge Padman Surasena and consisted of five judges.According to inquiries carried out by this commission, it has been recommended that the civic rights of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa be abolished under one charge.Investigations reports on 17 complaints handed over to President

After the commission was established, more than 2000 complaints were received, of which 400 were investigated.

Investigations have been completed regarding 17 of the complaints which have now been sent to the President.

The commision is said to have looked into various frauds committed including the Avante Garde transaction, the fraud at the Hambantota port opening ceremony, irregularities that took place at Sri Lanka Airline as well as the Irrigation and Water Supply Projects of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board.

Accordingly, the President’s office has instructed the Police Financial Crimes Division (FCID), Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption to investigate 120 complaints received.

These instructions were issued as the relevant institutions have already commenced investigations into these complaints.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General's Department has received six reports into the large-scale frauds committed to commence legal proceedings in this regard.

Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya has told the media that the charges will be framed in the near future.

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Inquire and Investigate into Serious Acts of Fraud and Corruption (PRECIFAC), delegated with the responsibility to investigate fraud and corruption that took place during the previous Rajapaksa regime will present its final report to President Maithripala Sirisena today.

The 1000 page report will highlight the Commission’s findings related to various cases and present recommendations on how to prevent and handle large-scale fraud and corruption in the future.

PRECIFAC Chairman, Court of Appeal Judge Preethi Padman Surasena will hand over the report to the President.

The other members, High Court judge Vikum Kaluarachchi, Piyasena Ranasinghe, Gihan Kulathunga and retired Auditor General P. A. Premathilake too will attend, Commission sources said.

The PRECIFAC during its tenure had investigated 34 major cases related to large-scale fraud and corruption at state institutions during the former regimes period. Earlier the Commission handed over 17 final reports on large-scale fraud and corruption to the President for further legal action.

The 17 reports include investigations into alleged fraud and corruption in connection to the distribution of water filters in the North Central Province, “Deyata Kirula” programme organised by the Ampara Urban Council, Port Authority- Mahapola Ship, report in connection with the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institution, State Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Disaster Management Centre, Polgolla Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre, Health Ministry-Kidney Disease related equipment, report in connection with the Kandy District Hospital Director’s Office, KKS cement factory, Rupavahini Corporation, National Housing Development Authority, National Transport Board Commission, Sathosa report, National Youth Services Council, Health Services Supplier Division and Archeology Department- Deegawapi Chethiya.

The government by a Gazette Notification on March 10, 2015, established the PRECIFAC.

It was delegated the responsibility to investigate fraud and corruption that took place during the period from January 10, 2010, to January 10, 2015.

Rs. 55 Million out of the Rs. 60 Million allocated for the self-employed youth under the ‘Pibidemu Polonnaruwa’ development project has been returned to the Treasury. Making this revelation President Maithripala said only Rs. 5 Million of the allocated funds had been spent in 2017.

The President was addressing a gathering in Siripura, Polonnaruwa when he made this statement yesterday (31).

According to him, the funds were returned as institutions comprising of public representatives were not present in the villages. Following the upcoming local government polls, the President promised to establish a special force to ensure development in the villages.

The website of Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) which was not in operation for over two months has now been restored.

The website had crashed due to a technical fault but now has been up since January 1 the organization spokesperson Rohitha Bashana said. .

However, he added that the Sinhala website will need several more days to be restored to its original form.

The agreement regarding media guidelines to presented to Parliament and gazetted by the Elections Commission on December 4, 2017, to ensure a fair and independent election will be signed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at Temple Trees tomorrow (02).

 These guidelines approved by the Cabinet would become law once they are approved by Parliament and it would be the duty and responsibility of all sectors of the media to abide by these media guidelines, the Prime Minister’s office said in a press release.

This will guarantee just and fair use of mass media which is one important aspect of conducting all future elections in a fair and independent manner. This could be considered as another victory of ‘Yahapalanaya’, the release further added.