More teeth for electoral media rules to penalise violators

• Cabinet nods to prepare bill to add provisions making violation of media guidelines an electoral offence

The Government has decided to give legal effect to media guidelines issued by the Elections Commission and permit action to be taken against violators.

“The President has suggested that the rules be made legally binding and that there be sanctions for anyone who breaks them,” Cabinet Co-Spokesman and Minister Bandula Gunawardane said at the post-cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday.

Media guidelines have been published in an extraordinary Gazette no. 2178/24 dated 3 June 2020 in accordance with Article 104b (5) (A) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. To date, the measures that can be enforced in case of violation of the media guidelines have not been enacted.

The proposal to this effect tabled by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to instruct legal draftsman to create a bill that would include provisions making the violation of the aforementioned media guidelines an electoral offence or introducing provisions that would treat the violation of media guidelines as an illegal act under each Election Act was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Changes will be made to the laws governing presidential, parliamentary, provincial, and local government elections in to punish media violating them.

“If the rules are broken, there are no steps that can be taken,” Gunawardena said.