President distances from Watagala, insists freedom of expression won’t be restricted

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today assured Parliament that emergency regulations will not be used to suppress freedom of expression or criticism directed at the government. Addressing concerns sparked by remarks made recently by Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala, the President said there was “unnecessary uproar” over the statement and insisted that public opinion will not be curtailed under emergency law. He stated that neither he nor the administration is bothered by critical or unfavourable comments made against them, adding that existing laws are adequate to deal with defamatory content if required. However, President Dissanayake warned that emergency regulations will be strictly…

Read the full article →