By Saman Indrajith

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe informed Parliament yesterday that the government would withdraw nine clauses of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution as they were thought to have a negative impact on the freedom of the press.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said that the proprietors of media establishments had met him, the President, Justice Minister and Media Minister and requested the government to remove a clause that envisaged taking punitive actions against media which did not comply with the orders of elections commissioner during elections. The proprietors of media organisations had informed the government that they would devise their own mechanism to implement the directives issued to them by the Elections Commissioner.

“The government has done its part and withdrawn the clause in question, and now it is up to the proprietors of media organisations to get together and devise a mechanism as they have promised,” he said.

The Prime Minister said so in response to a question raised by the Opposition with regard to the Right to Information draft bill.

Raising a point of order, MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena said: “We have come to know that the Right to Information draft bill has been sent to the Supreme Court.

But, the Members of Parliament have not seen it yet. The tradition was to table a draft bill here in Parliament before sending it to the Supreme Court.

Leader of the House Minister Lakshman Kiriella: We will table the draft Bill in Parliament once the Supreme Court ruling on the matter is received.

MP Gunawardena: Has a copy of the draft Bill been given to the Speaker?

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa: I have been informed that the draft Bill has been sent to the Supreme Court.

Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe: We have sent the draft Bill to the Supreme Court as we hope that the 19th Amendment would be passed in this House. In implementing the 19th Amendment to the Constitution the need arises for bringing forth the Right to Information Act. Thus, we have requested the Supreme Court to take the draft Bill into consideration once the 19th Amendment is passed in Parliament.

UPFA Parliamentarian Prof G. L. Peiris: This is the first time a bill on the right to information is being introduced. That draft bill cannot be brought in as an urgent bill according to the provisions of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. But, it seems that the government is trying to introduce it as an urgent Bill. Again, if the 19th Amendment is passed the Right to Information bill cannot be brought in as an urgent one. So, there are many contradictions. Members of this House are not aware of the content of the Right to Information Bill.

Leader of the Opposition Nimal Siripala de Silva: The government gave a time period to study the content of the 19th Amendment. Similarly, the Right to Information Act, too, is of great importance to the people and ample time is needed to study it. Therefore, there should adequate time for the people to understand its content before it is forwarded to the Supreme Court. There are many disputes with regard to the 19th Amendment because it was not brought following proper procedures. Therefore, we request to bring the 20th Amendment without leaving any room for complexities.

UPFA Colombo District MP Susil Premajayantha: Provincial Council Act was brought in after the passing of the 13th Amendment as an incidental matter. Therefore, you can bring about the Right to Information Act in the same way.

JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake: People should be given an opportunity to be aware of the content of the Right to Information Act. We have a parliamentary history where constitutional amendments were brought in as urgent bills and got passed. We should not permit such immoral and decadent practices. Therefore, the draft bill on Right to Information Act should come through the normal channel.

TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran: If we get the 19th Amendment passed without undue delay there is no problem with regard to getting the Right to Information Act passed.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe: We have said the Right to Information Act and National Auditing Act will be presented to parliament only after the 19th Amendment is passed. But now the Opposition objects to it. They ask whether these bills are needed. When the Right to Information Act was brought in by MP Karu Jayasuriya as a private member’s bill, the very same people opposed that too. Today, they do the same. If you want to know the content of the draft bill, you can go through the bill previously brought in by MP Jayasuriya.

Leader of the Opposition Nimal Siripala de Silva: No mention is made of taking punitive actions against media in the original draft of the 19th Amendment. They are included in the later changes introduced by the government. Thus, the SLFP requested the President to intervene in this. We thank the President for his involvement in the matter.

Leader of the House Minister Kiriella: It was there in the original draft.

MEP Leader Gunawardena: Don’t talk nonsense. Give us a copy of the draft bill forwarded to the Supreme Court.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe: We will give you a copy. If you do not want us to bring the Right to Information Act as an urgent bill, we will not do so. I suggest that we move ahead and commence the debate on the 19th amendment without further delay.

Courtesy:The Island