Dear Editor,
The next time the Guyana Chronicle tries to discredit a Government Press Secretary or a Government Communications Officer, it might be wise for them to be accurate by at least attempting to print the entire story. What Guyana Chronicle failed to print in its article dated Saturday 29th October 2016 and titled `Harmon: Ministers not meeting public at Congress Place’, was that a press release announcing those public meetings (copied to the entire media corps) was sent directly from the People’s National Congress Reform’s Headquarters at Congress Place, Sophia. It should also be noted too that the journalist from Stabroek News who posed the question about those public meetings to Minister of State, Hon. Joseph Harmon was honest enough to indicate that a release was sent out directly from the political party (PNCR).
Additionally, as a youth member of the PNCR, I see absolutely nothing wrong with those ministers meeting with members of the public at Congress Place, Sophia. The fact is that those Government Ministers are also Members of Parliament and members of the People’s National Congress Reform the party which is the largest in the APNU + AFC Coalition Government. Those Members of Parliament have constituents and constituencies that would have chosen them to represent their interests at the highest levels of office. I would have seen an issue had it been that those proposed meetings at Congress Place were the only public appearances made by the government ministers who again I stress, are also Members of Parliament.
Further, one cannot expect the Minister of State to address a political party issue at a government post-Cabinet press briefing a fact the minister clearly stated during that Press Conference. Guyana Chronicle’s headline twisted Minister Harmon’s words to create a perception of “confusion in the camp” and achieve the paper’s own unethical purpose.
Please see Minister of State Joseph Harmon’s verbatim response on the matter, below.
“There was no discussion at cabinet about a statement put out by a political party about ministers and going to meet with the public so I’m not aware of it at this point and time that you’re raising it, but I’m sure that we’re going to examine that. Clearly there is a distinction between the government and parties and so sometimes parties even in the coalition when they go to their party conferences and so on and make statements, we do not comment as a government. I deal with government and I would ask maybe that you address those party matters to the political parties who made the statements; but certainly as a government we never discussed that at Cabinet.”
Yours faithfully,
Malika N. Ramsey
PNCR Youth Member and Press
Secretary
