Dear Editor,
Reference is being made to Frederick Kissoon’s letter `Lewis’ position on the state ads cutoff to SN is nonsensical’ (SN Nov 11th). I thank you in advance for facilitating this response to Freddie and all future responses that are likely to be necessary in this continued saga with this gentleman.
It is obvious that the previous exchange between him and me left him emotionally battered and psychologically bruised, so he seeks Stabroek News’ (SN) matter as an opportunity for a rematch, another opportunity for his unethical showmanship. So he comes out in a frenzied flaying of hands, screaming and frothing at the mouth, throwing abuse left, right and centre, thinking he will take his opponent by surprise but once again he enters the ring recklessly. And once again he marshals no evidence other than his emotional outpourings to support his arguments. So the onslaught will continue in season two.
He is talking about stupid and idiocy. This vulgarian calling others vulgar (sigh). To date no point/argument I have made has been out of sync with the Constitution, due process and the court rulings. This is what offends him because I have countered the mischief making of those like him who use their privileged access to the media to sow discord and confusion in this society of ours. Some creating this confusion are not accidental in purpose. They are orchestrating disruption to law and order, peaceful resolution to conflicts and making themselves relevant in these times. Freddie falls in the latter two categories.
The argument over the University of Guyana (UG) industrial climate is now a black and Indian context for Kissoon to position himself as an East Indian victim of racism. Why? Because I dare to challenge him and bruise his ego…lol. The UG matter was long past and gone and I have moved on only to be reminded today in this first episode of this new season showcasing the captain of chaos, raging in his glory. I encourage readers to sit back, relax and enjoy.
Everyone knows that Freddie is a prolific and self-opinionated journalist. His involvement and concern at UG had to do more with the fact that he is the creator of confusion. He who now seeks to distance himself from the UG matter when he publicly claimed initiating interaction with Ivor English on the issue and the setting up of a meeting with members of the university leadership with a minister of government. He expects readers to believe that and his writings on the issue were the extent of his involvement.
On the No-confidence Motion ruling he is so full of himself and his learning yet fails to even recognise the court never ruled on a specific date for election. He, like many others, fails to acknowledge or is unfamiliar with the 12th July judgment by the Caribbean Court of Justice. Let me refer him to Item 7 of the Judgement which expressly states:
“Article 106 of the Constitution invests in the President and the National Assembly (and implicitly in GECOM), responsibilities that impact on the precise timing of the elections which must be held. It would not therefore be right for the Court, by the issuance of coercive orders or detailed directives, to presume to instruct these bodies on how they must act and thereby pre-empt the performance by them of their constitutional responsibilities. It is not, for example, the role of the Court to establish a date on or by which the elections must be held, or to lay down timelines and deadlines that, in principle, are the preserve of political actors guided by constitutional imperatives.”
This is the primary sourced evidence from which I make my argument on the Court not setting a date for elections but this dishonest academic has no value for the importance of such sourcing, readily accessible to all online. The fact that he has not done this begs the question as to who is really using fictitious argument about the court ruling. It is these facts as evidence which I marshal that upset the equilibrium of him and others
Kissoon uses the SN as an issue to attack me and speaks of “…the sordid political transformation of Lewis.” I remind Freddie, that comparatively we are unmatched when it comes to transformations, for whereas he is just a political trickster and opportunist, intellectually dishonest and willfully deceptive, I have a consistent track record on objective facts, hinged on Rights and the Rule of Law. I have permanent interests not friends. He was not of the latter, so there is no love lost here.
Every business without exception strives for work and better yet to have contracts with government. It can be the single most important economic boost for any business venture. In any context it would be highly unusual for any business including that of mainstream media earning millions of dollars from government to withhold their service and further to use their apparatus in this instance, the media to launch attacks where such payments are not immediately forthcoming.
Where government is the client certain conditionalities and practices of delayed payment constitute the contractual norm. This norm allows for payment to be received even if there is a change of government. I know of no case in the history of Guyana where media has refused government, a multi-million dollar paying reliable client, access to publish ads based on delayed payment. I can think of no busi-ness locally or in the world (as Kissoon would say) which would find such action prudent. But then again, this is Guyana and we are in the silly season.
Yours faithfully,
Lincoln Lewis
