Former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s report for the Commonwealth on Thursday’s Sri Lankan general elections cited widespread state media bias in favour of the government and the abuse of state resources, the exact criticisms which had been levelled here during the 2011 polls when he was the outgoing President.
Jagdeo’s 12-year administration had long been accused of vulgar abuse of the state media and state resources on behalf of the ruling PPP/C and to burnish its chances particularly during election campaigning. Observers had suggested that Jagdeo was an inappropriate choice for the 2015 Sri Lankan mission since he was likely to have to pass judgment on some of the same things he and the state media he controlled as minister of information had been accused of.
The editorial in the January 5th, 2015 edition of Stabroek News had stated: “Mr Jagdeo’s signature on the final report for
