The state-owned National Communications Network (NCN) has offered the opposition parties five minutes of free programming weekly—an offer which could possibly be extended in the future, says the station’s programme manager Martin Goolsarran.
An initial offer was made to the opposition parties last week, shortly after CNS channel 6 had been taken off air following the enforcement of a four-month ban by President Bharrat Jagdeo. When the ban was issued, opposition parties argued that it was an attempt by the government to silence their campaign, especially since they had no access to the state media. Some groups were calling for the boycott of