JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — Two Sri Lankan cabinet ministers invited journalists to a news conference in Jaffna on Wednesday, delivered lengthy remarks and then left after taking only a few questions, angering reporters who said some of them had traveled considerable distances expecting an opportunity to question the officials.
Bimal Rathnayake, the minister of transport and highways, and Ramalingam Chandrasekar, the minister of fisheries, aquatic and ocean resources, held the briefing at the National People’s Power’s Jaffna district office in Ariyalai. Karunainathan Ilankumaran, a member of Parliament, also attended.
Mr. Rathnayake began with a roughly 20-minute statement in Sinhala. Mr. Chandrasekar then translated his remarks into Tamil, taking up more of the time set aside for the event.
The ministers answered only a few questions before saying they had another engagement and leaving.
Their departure angered several journalists in attendance, some of whom had traveled considerable distances to attend what had been announced as a news conference. Reporters said they had expected a meaningful opportunity to question the ministers, rather than primarily listen to prepared remarks.
Several journalists argued that if the purpose of the event was simply to communicate the government’s position without allowing sufficient time for questions, the ministers could have issued a news release instead of asking reporters to travel to Ariyalai for a press conference.
The episode also revived complaints among journalists about the N.P.P.’s relationship with the news media since coming to power. Before forming the government, party representatives frequently held news conferences and took questions from reporters. Journalists at Wednesday’s briefing said such opportunities had become considerably less frequent since the party took office.
