Sri Lanka: Mahinda takes over all TV channels

( Janusry 2, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) A TV political programme participated by candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa is being produced to be telecast over all state and private channels on the 5th, the day all propaganda for the presidential election has to be ended.

The programme is being videoed at President’s House in Kandy. A TV channel has been asked to direct 10 questions to Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa. Only the questions selected from these by the President’s media unit would be directed to Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa by the presenters at the TV programme.

The videoed programme is to be telecast over all TV channels simultaneously on the 5th night. The telecast has been planned so that no other candidate or political party could have access to TV media. The target of the conspiracy is to get the advantage of the last minute TV telecast and not allow any other to contradict anything said by Mr. Rajapaksa, the candidate.

During provincial and other elections Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa carried out such programmes calling them ‘President meets the people’. However, this time it is illegal as Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa is a candidate.