Dear Editor,
Now state-owned Guysuco and GPL withdraw their ads from Guyana’s most independent newspaper, supposedly without the knowledge of their Chairman! De Caires’s account of this debacle (http://www. stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56513499) is chilling in its account of brutish communist authoritarianism.
It seems that it is not now very popular to defend Stabroek News, but there’s a greater principle involved here. Democracy is being raped in Guyana, and Caricom, and the Commonwealth, remain strangely silent. This is unacceptable!
Truth, honour and decency dictate that every right-thinking Guyanese should send a strong signal to GINA and their helmsmen that everything that is happening to Stabroek News is opposed to the idea of Guyana as a parliamentary democracy.
In fact, the scenario is shockingly reminiscent of the absymal picture of orchestrated destruction of democratic institutions painted by Sir Michael Davies in his “Guyana Parliamentary Needs Assessment 2005” (copies by writing RogerWilli@Yahoo.com).
I will simply stop buying the Chronicle or the Kaieteur News until the government sees the error of its ways, or else allows an independent audit by a mutually agreed-upon entity to ascertain circulation figures. I hope others follow my lead.
Yet some of us keep a decorous silence, and pretend that nothing is happening. In doing so we support injustice.
The Editor/owner of Kaieteur News pretends that the issue does not touch them, or somehow illustrates their “success”. Nothing could be further from the truth. I say this deliberately: Kaiteur News is not, repeat not, Stabroek News!
In not rushing to condem GINA’s, Guysuco’s and GPL’s shocking action, Kaieteur News’ silence makes it complicit with the government’s abuse of its powers (supposedly on the “people’s behalf”), and this is a shocking act of cowardice by a sister “private” newspaper. Kaieteur News should and must now refuse government advertising until an equitable system is returned to. They should run with Stabroek News on this issue, not against it. Anything else is lip service.
Jerry Gouveia and his Chamber of Commerce should now respond with the alacrity and zeal with which he supported casino gambling, but we should not hold our breaths. Lip service seems to be adequate consideration for government largesse these days.
What Kean Gibson referred to as the “paternalistic monocracy” is now seen in all its shocking sickeningness. SN has apparently offended that paternalism, and apparently must now bear the pain.
Kaieteur News, it seems, has decided that it will live with its guilt … or its shame.
The Chronicle has long since lost its soul!
However there is one ray of hope. With the pressure of CWC, and as visitors vote with their pockets for the best newspaper and reportage, more and more will see SN’s current front-page banner headline … and enquiring minds will ask questions of its owner.
I would predict that soon we will see a convenient reversal of the ad-withdrawal policy to accommodate the charade of “unity” for CWC.
Then a swift return to viciousness shortly after the visitors leave!
Yours faithfully,
Roger Williams
