Media rights group sees bias in Sri Lanka poll coverage

(January 22, 2010) A media rights group has accused Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa of using government resources for his election campaign. Reporters Without Borders said on Thursday that Sarath Fonseka, the main challenger to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is getting almost no air time in state media. “Flouting a January-15 supreme court ruling, state-owned TV stations Rupavahini and ITN continue to openly favour President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s campaign to win another term in the presidential election to be held on 26 January with a total of 21 candidates taking part,” the group observed. It said that after monitoring its has found that 98.5 per cent of the news and current affairs air-time on the two stations on 18 and 19 January was given over to the president and his supporters. “This violates the constitution, above all its seventh amendment and article 104 (b) empowering the electoral commission,” Reporters Without Borders said. It also said the telecoms regulator ordered mobile phone operators to issue a text message on behalf of the president. Both Rajapaksa and Fonseka are at the height of their popularity for ending the 25-year civil war last May against the Tamil Tigers. They are locked in a bitter and close election race.