Dear Editor,
I refer to the Sunday Stabroek article of February 11, captioned ‘Mrs Jagan calls for reversal of ads decision.’ It was fascinating to read Mrs Jagan’s negative views of the SN. They mirrored almost exactly those views of the SN the late leader of the Opposi-tion, Mr H Desmond Hoyte, expressed to me on several occasions. Invariably while admonishing the newspaper for what he considered to be unfair and malicious attacks on the PNC, PNCR or himself he would end by saying he had little choice but to put up with it as he could never “outpaper” a newspaper. By this he meant that he could never compete successfully with a newspaper in articulating his negative views of that paper in the print media.
To the extent that the views expressed by these two former Presidents may reflect the views of their respective political parties, it would be reasonable to come to the conclusion that dislike of the SN is a sentiment they share. For a newspaper to achieve such equilibrium of disfavour is unusual but good. It brings to mind a Japanese maxim, usually applied to business negotiations, which says that a good deal is done only when both parties to the transaction are happy or both parties are unhappy. In Guyana such balance may be hard for a newspaper to achieve given the seductive benefits of political partisanship. Paradoxically, to achieve near symmetry in antagonizing both the two main political parties is the stuff independent journalism is made of. Some would argue that the SN should be congratulated.
The normal checks and balances in the democratic system – the existence of a free and fearless press, the role of the civil service as an independent custodian of the public interest and even the necessity of our MPs having an obligation to parliament that transcends party interest – must be restored, embraced and nurtured. We must evolve beyond the brutal exercise of executive power legitimized by quinquennial winner-take-all elections. This is too thin a basis upon which to organize the contract between governors and governed in a nascent democracy. Modern government requires more active scrutiny of its decisions by entities that are not in thrall to it; that often falls to a free, indomitable press. The Stabroek News is meeting its obligations to this troubled democracy which may be why it is in trouble with the government. However, democratic best-practice is crucial to ‘Building a modern and prosperous Guyana.’ The task for 2008 is for government to try harder.
Yours faithfully,
F. Hamley Case
