Media and Minister Bandula Gunawardena

– Thinakkurl Editorial

(September 15, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Minister Bandula Gunawardena, who is one of the 18 UNP Parliamentarians, who crossed over to the government at the beginning of the last year, criticized the government strongly for the country’s economic crisis and projected himself as one who had the capacity to solve the problems when he was occupying the opposition ranks.

While he was in the opposition, he stated that he had the economic strategies to resolve the problem of the price hike of essential commodities.

Minister Bandula Gunawardene, who once criticized the government’s economic policies, is compelled to defend them today as Minister of Consumer Affairs. He even said that controlling of prices of essential commodities is even beyond thee control of the government.

Due to this, he was strongly criticized by the media recently, when the Consumer Affairs Authority gave sanction to increase the price of gas, while it was falling in the world market. When the press condemned it, Minister Bandula Gunawardena was angered over the media’s criticism. He even threatened to take legal action against the media.

The truth is that there are government ministers, who cannot face healthy criticisms. They refuse to accept that there can be truth in reports that are unpalatable to them. Media reports are based in the interest of the public and the Minister must take them into consideration.

(An English translation of the Editorial in Thinakkural, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo) - Sri Lanka Guardian