November 7, 2003	Friday	Ramazan 11, 1424

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COLOMBO, Nov 6: Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga on Thursday announced she was taking over state-run radio, television and newspapers amid a deepening political crisis, but said she would allow media freedom.

Kumaratunga, who sacked the information minister together with the ministers of defence and interior on Tuesday, said that she had reconstituted the boards of management of four state-owned media institutions with her nominees.

“The president has ensured the media full freedom of expression,” her office said in a statement. “The first obligation of these media institutions will be to inform the country the facts and events without prejudice or conscious partisanship.”—AFP