Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared that legislation will be brought to parliament shortly which will ensure that the rights of all journalists in Sri Lanka are safeguarded. According to Dinamina, a state run newspaper, Wickremesinghe will put forward the bill as a private member’s motion.
Meanwhile, Wickremesinghe has also met with several senior journalists at his Cambridge Place office in Colombo with regard to the forthcoming legislation. He had requested for their input and also emphasized why he was forwarding such a bill in parliament.
The controversial Media Development Authority to be introduced by the government was also discussed at length during the meeting.
The Opposition is of the view that the Media Development Authority is yet another ruse by the government to suppress independent media in Sri Lanka.
Among the editors who took part in the discussion with Wickremesinghe were, Lankadeepa Editor Siri Ranasinghe, Sunday Lakbima Editor Sundara Nihathamani, Sunday Times Editor Sinha Ratnatunge, Sunday Island Editor Manik Silva, and Thinakural Editor Dhanapalasingham.
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