Speaking after opening of a media centre of United National Front here yesterday, Fonseka indirectly accused the Mahinda Rajapaksa government of trying to "intimidate" the media.
As the battle for presidency hots up in Sri Lanka, the main opposition candidate and general-turned politician Sarath Fonseka has accused his "political opponents" of trying to "intimidate" the media and vowed to ensure press freedom if elected.
In comments that came just a day after journalists from two state media organisations covering a meet of opposition United National Party (UNP) were allegedly assaulted by some party supporters, Fonseka also urged the press to be fair in reporting, especially the developments related to the January 26 presidential polls.
Speaking after opening of a media centre of 18-party United National Front here yesterday, Fonseka indirectly accused the Mahinda Rajapaksa government of trying to "intimidate" the media.
The former army chief, the key architect of the military offensive that led to the annihilation of rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), had quit as chief of defence staff last month after a rift with the president and emerged as the opposition candidate to challenge the incumbent in the electoral battle.
"You can see with your present experience who is trying to deal with the media very fairly and in a very justifiable manner," he told the newspersons.
"And you can also compare the behaviour of our political opponents towards the media whether they are trying to abuse the authority over the media, (whether) they are trying to misuse the government media or they are trying to intimidate the media," the ex-army chief said.
"(Or whether) as someone mentioned here before me that they are trying to bribe the media. (Or whether) they think the media people can be bought," Fonseka said adding, "We don't have an approach like that".
"Our approach will be very straightforward, genuine approach, giving due respect to media and expecting the same reciprocal attitude from the media towards us," he said.
"From this place (the media centre) we hope to educate the masses, educate the people of this country about the real situation and the actual developments of the election campaign," Fonseka said.
He said the opposition does not expect the media to be biased and is not trying to misuse the media or trying to "abuse the media by whatever ways and means which could be put into practice."
Alleged lack of press freedom in Sri Lanka has been in focus since last year with various international rights groups accusing the government of stifling the media.
Meanwhile, minister of mass media and information Anura Priyadarshana Yapa condemned the attack on the state media TV crew at the UNP convention at Welisara in western Sri Lanka on Saturday.
He charged that the Opposition and the Marxist JVP party have been harassing the state media over the past six months.
"The JVP has publicly imposed a ban on the state media," the minister told reporters.
Yapa said the police were investigating the Welisara incident where six members of the (state-owned) ITN and Rupavahini television channel were attacked.
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