Information Dept. causes media chaos on nominations day
Sri Lankans in every nook and corner of the country are now focused on the presidential election on November 16.
Therefore, the electronic, print and even the social media are full of reports on an event that would make history as well as guide their destiny for the next five years.
Alas, the Government Information Department, whose primary task is to disseminate official information and arrange with other state authorities for the media to bring the news to the public, appears to be in disarray. Last Monday’s nominations for the presidential election saw the Department is only a few generations after the stone age.
Print media journalists were accommodated on a dais across Sarana Mawatha in Battaramulla where the National Election Commission is located. A drain below emanated a foul smell. Some occasionally shut their noses but could not for obvious reasons shut their eyes. They had to watch what was going on from a television screen installed on the dais. Like the olden days, it was like a silent movie. The pictures came on the screen but not the audio. None of those from the print media were versed in the art of lip reading. So, they had to bear it all. Some said they could easily have done it from the living rooms or bedrooms in their homes since the event was televised live.
One might think that the travails of television crews were less. That was not to be. The dais built for them within the NEC premises, opposite the main entrance, was creaking and was showing signs of collapse. Hurriedly workers went to work below propping up the stage with more galvanised pipes.
The media representatives, both print and electronic, were asked to turn up at the Gover nment I n fo rmation De partment at Kirullapone at 6 a. m. When they arrived there, there were no officials. They came another thirty minutes late. The nominations process was beginning at 9 a.m.
The media were put through stringent body checks by commandos of the Police Special Task Force. Thereafter, they were bundled into two air-conditioned buses to be escorted by armed Police motorcycle outriders to the NEC offices. These buses had to make way every time a candidate was headed to the NEC office escorted by Police patrol cars with red lights flashing. Television cameramen had a tough time since they had to keep all their equipment on the ground and show them one by one for inspection.
As if to soothe their anger, Department officials distributed packets of breakfast – a fish bun, a Chinese roll, a banana and lukewarm tea.
One witty local reporter said “all I saw was NEC Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya moving his lips on a television screen. We could not say whether he was singing or speaking. We had to wait till we returned to our offices to find out what he said”.
Little wonder, in an era where communications in the electronic age are so advanced, the officials tasked to disseminate information seem to be a few generations behind.