In the wake of many news web sites very essential of the Government of Sri Lanka giving sudden prominence to UNP Gampaha District Parliamentarian and Chairman of the UNP’s Leadership Council Karu Jayasuriya, Colombo Telegraph is compelled to question him on the nature of his connection with these who operate these web sites.
According to media reports this past week Karu Jayasuriya now seems to be the top contender as the presidential candidate proposed by the opposition parties, other feasible choices former President Chandrika Kumaranatunga, Leader of the UNP Ranil Wickremesinghe, and Ven Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera, the convener of the National Movement for Social Justice.
On October 23rd, Karu Jayasuriya telephoned the Colombo Telegraph editor and presented him a monthly payment of Rs 50,000/- ‘in appreciation of the operate that Colombo Telegraph does’. Jayasuriya did not state for how extended this payment was to be created. The situation did not arise since the editor politely declined the supply. The editor, additionally, reminded Jayasuriya that it was he who interviewed him when he 1st came in to politics in 1995. At that time Jayasuriya had told the journalist that he hoped he would continue perform towards the independence of the media. The Colombo Telegraph editor pointed out to Jayasuriya that he functions these days as an independent media entity and said he did not want any income.
A single week soon after the aforementioned phone get in touch with, Karu Jayasuriya has been offered a lot of prominence in a number of news web sites. Colombo Telegraph is for that reason compelled to ask Karu Jayasuriya whether or not he had created a equivalent provide to those who run these web sites ‘in appreciation of the work they do’ or for any other cause.
Colombo Telegraph feels it is Jayasuriya’s duty to disclose the nature of his partnership with the said sites, specifically in view of the fact that Jayasuriya was the really individual who campaigned for the Appropriate to Information and transparency.