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My Goal Is a Well Balanced Media- Kadirgamar
Bandula Jayasekara in Colombo,
SLT 5.15 A.M Monday 9 February.
Newly appointed Media Minister of the Caretaker cabinet Lakshman Kadiragamar
says that his goal is to have a well balanced media in the country, provide
room for healthy debate and let young people have a say in the nations
affairs. . Kadiragamar said " I would encourage academics, citizens at
large, members of the civil society to come out and have their say and
participate at all public debates We need new faces on television." " We
need to freshen up the public face, he emphasized. He called upon all
people concerned with the affairs of the nation to come forward. The
minister also said that though he is a caretaker media minister he was
adamant to see a balanced and a fair media culture developed even during two
months.
The new media minister and Senior Advisor to the President said he would see
to it
that fair distribution of time and space in public media be allocated to all
political parties contesting the elections. Kadiragamar added that he would
encourage intelligent debates and discussions on television and the
President is keen to conduct the elections in a sensible manner. He said
This may be a watershed election, an election where we could show the
world that we can hold elections in a fair manner."
Published: Sun Feb 8 17:53:37 EST 2004
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President was ‘forced’ to dissolve parliament by her party stalwarts
Alladin Hussein in Colombo,
February 8, 2004, 11.45 pm.
President Chandrika Kumaratunga was immensely pressurized into dissolving parliament, political sources told the Lanka Academic. Ms. Kumaratunga, who is the executive president of the country, was ‘ forced’ to dissolve parliament by her party’s stalwarts.
While she continued to contemplate the decision of dissolving parliament and despite several undertakings at numerous occasion that she would not dissolve parliament, Ms. Kumaratunga was virtually forced to call a general election by a group of Sri Lanka Freedom Party members who had been continuously campaigning for the SLFP-JVP alliance.
Bad came to worse, soon after the Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna on January 20, with mainly the SLFPers pressurizing her at many instances asking her to call fresh elections.
Ms. Kumaratunga however before making a decision whether or not to dissolve parliament and call for fresh elections, met with elections commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake for several hours yesterday afternoon at her residence, it was after this meeting that President decided to dissolve parliament.
Published: Sun Feb 8 12:52:47 EST 2004
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SLFP-JVP alliance meets to plan election campaign
Alladin Hussein in Colombo,
February 8, 2004, 11.33 pm.
Barely 15 hours after President Chandrika Kumaratunga dissolved Parliament and announced snap polls, members of the newly formed United People’s Freedom Alliance convened a meeting to discuss details pertaining to their election campaign and how to win the forthcoming general election, which is four years ahead of scheduled.
The Alliance represents the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, and several other minority parties. Matters regarding ‘ways of governing the country in a responsible manner if the alliance is elected to power’ were also discussed at today’s meeting.
The two parties also focused attention on the present situation in the country after the dissolution of parliament. The SLFP was represented by Presidential advisor and Minister of media Lakshaman Kadirgarmer, and its Media spokesman Mangala Samaraweera while JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe, general secretary Tilvin Silva and propaganda secretary Wimal Weerawansa represented their party.
Published: Sun Feb 8 12:40:32 EST 2004
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