President Maithripala Sirisena has expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to several senior newspaper editors at the Presidential Media Awards ceremony yesterday. 

The President has also instructed Media Minister Ruwan Wijewardena to initiate an inquiry into the matter. 

Sirisena has reportedly stated that the seating arrangements at the event were handled by a group who had "zero understanding" of the subject.

Several senior members of the media have boycotted the award ceremony, forgoing their own awards, over anger of the President's treatment of the media.

The controversy did not end there with observers reporting that senior editors of two leading Sinhala newspapers has left the event early to demonstrate their anger over the seating arrangement. 

The members of the audience were further angered when the Governor of the Northern Province, Dr. Suren Raghaven, was asked to give a speech.

Raghaven, who was appointed as Governor of the Northern Province after supporting the President during the 52 Day Constitutional Coup, used his opportunity to lavish praise on the President.