The Sri Lanka National Congress is lobbying whether the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) manifesto could identify access to information as an important right of people for the forthcoming Presidential election.


“We believe that access to information is an important right of the people, and an essential tool to guarantee good governance. It could also be used to create transparency, and as such, would become a critical tool to fight corruption,” leader of the Sri Lanka National Congress, Minister Milinda Moragoda said.
Moragoda also said that his party would advocate that the UPFA include this in the policy document (Election Manifesto) of the upcoming Presidential and General Election.


The Minister pointed out the importance of educating the rural folk on the significance of this right and the impact it could create on society at large, as an instrument towards bringing about transparency and fighting corruption.


He emphasised that it could help them reap immense benefits. It would improve their bargaining power when dealing with various government agencies. “It would be a vital ingredient to ensure the much talked about press freedom in Sri Lanka” he pointed out.


The Minister drew parallels with other countries, and said that similar legislation has already been introduced in major democracies such as India, and that it has given lot of impetus to the people to obtain necessary information from government agencies, hitherto which they did not have access.


In addition, he said that civil society organisations, other interested parties and various political parties should advocate and lobby to make this legislation a reality.


The minister who said that, while it is important to enact the new law at the earliest possibility, it is equally important to introduce clauses in the said Act to prevent “classified” information being leaked to the general public, since national security is a matter that should be handled with the utmost care and could not be compromised at any cost. However, he said that there is time bound information that could be released for public consumption from time to time.

Minister Moragoda and the Sri Lanka National Congress in particular, are of the view that a national movement to lobby for the implementation of the draft legislation is the need of the hour. He also said that people have to be vigilant and avail themselves of the right to access official information, to make this law more meaningful.