Permit only journalists supportive of Rajapakses to cover President’s meetings

The Presidential Media Unit has decided not to permit any journalist who has a relative in the opposition or has worked against the Rajapakses to cover any of the President’s meetings.

The Media Unit has sent a special form to gather information to every media institution to be filled by the respective journalists who will be covering the President’s meetings and the National Intelligence Bureau is to help the Media Unit verify the information submited in the form.

The form has requested the journalist to submit details about spouse, children, the journalist’s realtives, their political affiliations and their work place addresses.

The form has also asked the journalists to give details about their parents, even if they were deceased. Also, they have been asked to write down if they are or had been members of any cultural, social, religious and political organizations.

The Presidential Media Unit has also asked if any relative of the spouse is involved in litigation or if any complaints have been lodged against them and the designations of any relative or sibling of the journalist who are members of a political organization.

A senior journalist commenting on the present situation said the new procedure that was never practiced by any of the former Presidents in the country would prevent many journalists from covering the President’s meetings in the future and that only close relatives of the President would have to be employed into media institutions to cover such events.