R.F.M. Suhel – Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council Opposition Leader A.R. Ajith Kumara has expressed his strong objection to the recent decision not to invite journalists to cover the monthly general meetings and special council meetings of the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council.
Speaking to us in response to a query regarding why journalists were not invited to the last general and special council meetings, he said:
“There is nothing to hide at the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council. Work should be conducted with transparency. Both government and opposition activities must be made known to the public. Therefore, it is essential to invite journalists who provide that information to the people. We express our protest against not inviting them.
In the past, throughout the history of the Municipal Council, media personnel were always officially invited in writing to attend general and special meetings, as well as budget sessions. Since the new council administration took office in 2025, we only saw journalists attend once to cover a session.
On August 9, during the last general meeting, only one journalist was present. At the special meeting on the 19th, no journalist attended at all. When we inquired, the response was that invitations were sent, but no one came. But now we have found out that no invitations were sent. At the next meeting, the opposition will raise this matter strongly.”
Another group of opposition councillors, who wished to remain anonymous, also commented:
“Allowing only the media person managing the Mayor’s personal Facebook account to cover general and special council meetings undermines the transparency of council proceedings.”
They further said that during the last general meeting, only the content creator who provides video material for the official Facebook page of the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council was present:
“We saw him roaming everywhere in the hall, taking photos and videos without any understanding of how a journalist should conduct themselves in such an environment. Previously, we never experienced anything like this. We expect impartial media coverage that reports transparently on both sides without bias, not selective coverage.”
When contacted, Nuwara Eliya Municipal Commissioner B.H.A. Dilhani said:
“We will look into why invitation letters were not sent to journalists for the last two sessions and ensure corrective action.
In the past, I personally signed the invitation letters, but I am not aware why they were overlooked in the last two instances. We will investigate and address this properly.
According to the Municipal Ordinance, it is not mandatory to send formal invitations. Journalists are free to attend once they know a council meeting is being held.”
