PM tells the whole truth

The media could bring a political party into power but it could not keep it in power, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday at Temple Trees at the inauguration ceremony of the ‘Esi Disi’ insurance scheme for journalists.

“Only those who govern can protect its popularity. If the media tries to prop up unpopular governments, people will be angry. Then, you will need a better life insurance scheme. Although journalists know this, it seems that our people have not understood this,” he said.

The Prime Minister said that he had always been close to journalists and had maintained cordial relations with them. He said that when he was a minister, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike called him a reporter at a parliamentary group meeting.

“I told her I was not a reporter, but an editor. That I only gave information to journalists after editing them so that the party was not harmed,” he said.

The Prime Minister said that when governments tried to suppress information, the public would grow curious. “This leads to the dissemination of fake news. Now, parliament debates are telecast live and no one is interested. The only place not open is the Cabinet and that is why there are many speculative stories about what happens there,” the PM said.

Rajapaksa said that the government would have to make tough decisions and that they were ready to implement them although that might cost them politically.