Spokesman for the opposition coalition APNU, Joe Harmon yesterday rejected a Guyana Chronicle editorial that among other claims, suggested that the opposition encouraged criminals and which urged the boycott of an unnamed bank.
Harmon called on the editorial board of the state newspaper to apologise and resign.
In a strongly worded statement, Harmon said that the July 17 editorial titled ‘Youth, politics and criminality,’ reflects “the PPP/C’s rapid, dangerous and destructive descent into irrelevancy and desperate race baiting.” Harmon asserted that the offensive editorial makes several claims which appear to serve no purpose “but to engage in the politics of fear by stirring up racial divisions and panic” among Guyanese.
This is not the first time that the state-owned newspaper has drawn criticism for offensive statements in its opinion pieces and other reports.
Harmon said that the claim in the editorial that the opposition encourages youth to engage in criminality rather than education, is false and slanderous and he challenged the editorial board to produce proof of their assertion or resign. The editorial also said that the USAID-funded $300 million Leadership and Democracy Project (LEAD) only provides training to “the Opposition leaders and their youthful supporters” and Harmon said that the state newspaper ignores the fact that the PPP had rejected elements of the programme.
In relation to the statement in the editorial that, “The young children being trained and indoctrinated into criminality and violence to support the evil agenda of opposition elements have no future…,” Harmon again challenged the Chronicle’s editorial board to produce proof of this abuse and denigration of Guyana’s youth, “the vast majority of whom have goals, dreams and ambition and contribute to the development of Guyana” or to resign.
“The Chronicle editorial (continuing) in its invidious racial agenda goes on to falsely state that a local bank manager, who is purported to be an opposition supporter, is involved in the criminal conspiracy to rob customers, and goes further by urging readers to boycott this institution. This is an evil, irresponsible and slanderous utterance,” Harmon asserted. He urged the editorial board to provide proof of this conspiracy or resign.
“We are unequivocal in our position that this editorial is laden with dangerous untruths and we call on the editorial board to publicly withdraw these falsehoods, apologize and resign,” he declared.
Harmon said that the PPP/C must be reminded that as the ruling party, they represent the interests of all people of Guyana. “Guyanese must not be encouraged to divide themselves along ethnic lines and they certainly must not be encouraged to think of an entire segment of the population as criminal,” he said, while adding that the PPP/C’s increasing desperation as depicted in the “dangerous” editorial reflects depraved thinking.
“It is completely irresponsible and a stain on the governance of our dear land. We call on all right thinking Guyanese to insist that the Editor and editorial board of the Guyana Chronicle provide the supporting evidence or to resign immediately. We call on all Guyanese to choose unity and respect and to reject PPP/C divide and conquer rule,” Harmon said.
