It has been reported that another media organization was behind the cancellation of opposition leader Sajith Premadasa’s appearance on Derana 360, which was scheduled to air yesterday.
According to political sources, the same media outlet is currently managing not only Sajith Premadasa’s election campaign but also the activities of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya party.
Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, who had promised to participate in the live broadcast of the Derana 360 program yesterday (17th), had seen pre-campaign materials and press notices published by Derana . Despite initially agreeing, Sajith Premadasa abruptly declined to participate in the program.
Yesterday morning, it was announced that Sajith Premadasa would not be participating in the program. The media secretary of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Erananda Hettiarachchi, informed the Derana agency of this decision.
In response, Derana News Director Yuvraj Athukorala sent a letter to the Samagi Jana Balawegaya expressing his disappointment over the sudden cancellation, calling it an irrational and baseless decision, especially given previous assurances that the opposition leader would attend.
Experts in the media field have pointed out that Sajith Premadasa has never participated in a live political discussion, nor does he give press interviews. Recently, he appeared on Hiru Channel’s Salakuna, but that program was also pre-recorded. It was the first time a live program had been taped and then broadcast.
