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Party
politics at public expense The main criticism of the video telecast on Rupavahini and ITN at prime time last Sunday is that it might have been a personal vendetta between Rupavahini Chairman M. M. Zuhair and his long-time political opponent, SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem. Mr. Zuhair rejects this charge. He said his political differences with Mr. Hakeem had nothing to do with his decision to allow the controversial video and eventually it is the viewers who would make the judgment on who was right. The Rupavahini chairman declined any further comment on this scandal which has hit media headlines over the past few days and has been taken up in parliament as a breach of privilege matter. Media Minister Reginald Cooray, who faces a possible opposition no-confidence motion on the charge he has allowed the State media to go on a political witch hunt, said he was not aware of the programme. Mr. Cooray, said, he believed the best policy now was to keep silent. Asked why he kept silent when State TV gave prime time to a mysterious video without fully checking on its authenticity, the halting response from Mr. Cooray was that he did not think of taking any action even at this stage. But what Minister Cooray who spent a good ten minutes at the cabinet news briefing last Thursday commenting on media ethics and raising of standards, thinks of doing now is to leave it all to the courts, since the matter is to be taken up there. "Since there is legal action to be implemented and the CID is investigating, I shall keep silent," Mr. Cooray said dodging questions as to whether last Sunday's video was in line with the elevation of standards he had in mind. The man in the middle of the whole dirty muddle, SLMC leader Hakeem, says he has mobilised top lawyers, Romesh de Silva and Ikram Mohammed, to prepare defamation action against State TV which he accuses of degenerating to the lowest levels. In what might be a record, Mr. Hakeem is known to be seeking damages to the tune of one thousand million rupees from each state media organisation. Mr. Hakeem said he was contemplating taking the state-controlled newspapers before the Press Complaints Commission. While an angry Mr. Hakeem accuses the state media of total abuse of power, his new opponents Abdul Rishad Badiudeen who is playing a major role in the drama said he still had the tape which was videoed in the Continental Hotel and he insisted on its authenticity though he did not approve of what state TV did. Meanwhile, Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Deputy Minister Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi denied they were involved in masterminding the sex-and-blackmail scandal, involving a woman. Both said they had requested the CID to probe the affair. Mr. Hakeem said the alleged scandal was part of a conspiracy to destroy him and remove him from the SLMC leadership. He charged that the UPFA government was behind the conspiracy. While different parties with political agendas give their own pictures, the matter of public concern is whether public-funded national television stations have the right to use prime time or anytime for what is clearly party propaganda and a personal attack on a rival political leader. Leading the attack for the opposition, former Education and Cultural Affairs Minister Karunasena Kodituwakku accused State TV of acting with crass irresponsibility and defaming the character of a political leader without checking on the authenticity of the video. He said the petty programme was not only an insult to Mr. Hakeem and the woman involved in it but to all women in the country. "Making public the private life of a person without substantial evidence is a horribler act which should be condemned," Dr. Kodituwakku said. Prominet monk and trade union leader Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera said the ethics of state TV had descended to such levels that they were now indulging in dirty destructive politics. All Ceylon Muslim League said it was tragic that the prime time of national television was being abused for dirty mud slinging instead of giving the people something substantial and valuable. ACML secretary Ismath Ghouse said dirty party politics appeared to have got into everything. Human rights activist Sunila Abeysekera in a statement signed by her and 40 others hit out hard charging the state media was running amok in gutter journalism. She said while the abuse of public funds was a serious issue, worst still was that it was a woman who was "exploited when she was obviously undergoing some struggle or conflict". "We are seeing the personal lives of two people being used and abused for some other party's political gain. “Although we have seen the State media violating norms during election time, this is the worst kind of rubbish that has been forced upon the people. Gutter journalism is the only word that I can think of," Ms. Abeysekera said while taking a swipe at some private media channels whom she accused of 'being no better than the State media', as they too appear to be trying to politically exploit a personal matter. |
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