President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday emphasised that guiding media institutions to carry out responsible journalism is not an issue about criticising the Government and it does not amount to suppression.

President Sirisena made this clarification when he toured the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission on Thursday on an observation visit.

The President pointed out that guidance was the responsibility vested in the media establishments and it is a program to consolidate the right of the people for substantial journalism. He said there is a possibility of utilising new technology to inquire into illegal activities going above the range of figures.

Although the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) was under the purview of the President since 2004, this is the first time that a President had visited the institution to look into its activities, state TV reported.

As an institution under the President, the aim of the visit to the TRC was to look into its structure and operations. The staff accorded a warm welcome to the President on his arrival. After a discussion with the Board of Directors the President undertook an inspection tour.

Drawing his attention to the existing vacancies at the Commission, President Sirisena issued instructions to immediately recruit qualified officials.

The President said that it has been reported that certain private television and radio channels were using 80% of their air time to criticise the Government but criticising the Government is not an issue. “What I say is that they have the right to be critical of the Government, but give sometime for coverage of the Government’s development programs,” he said.

He pointed out the need for a broad program to educate the public on the task of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission.

The officials apprised the President of amending the Telecommunications Regulatory Act.

Chairman of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission President’s Secretary P.B. Abeykoon and senior officials were present on the occasion.

Northern journalists meet President and Prime Minister

A group of journalists from the North, who is visiting the South with the purpose of consolidating cooperation between the North and the South, met with President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Parliamentary Complex on Thursday.

The group of 54 journalists visiting at the invitation of Southern journalists on a reconciliation tour told the President and the Prime Minister that the people of the North now live in freedom. They expressed their gratitude to the President and the Prime Minister with respect to the peaceful environment prevailing in the North.

Media Minister Gayantha Karunathilake and Deputy Minister Karunaratne Paranavithana were also present on this occasion.

Minister Karunathilake hosted a dinner for the visiting journalists on Wednesday at the Sri Lanka Foundation.  They will leave for Jaffna after visiting Colombo, Galle, and Kataragama.

According to the Secretary Nimal Bopage, the journalists arrived in Colombo as the second step of the ‘Thalpathai-Panhidai’ reconciliation tour recently participated by the journalists from South.