Dear Editor,
Nothing works in Guyana. I’ll start with two important ones, which in my opinion, interferes with the functioning of other sectors. First, to all intents and purposes we don’t have a functioning Parliament. No matter what the opposition says it falls on deaf ears. I was a member of parliament for 4 years and never once did the PPP retract one number or word from anything they presented to the House, even after hours of debate! Second, our legal system has not recovered from the Appeal Court in Kingston, Georgetown – the final arbiter of all our legal matters. It was hoped that it would have recovered with a Chief Justice like Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire and the CCJ.
Editor, I’m not saying that all the judges are not fearless and impartial, a few are definitely emerging, but by and large more independence must be visible. Perhaps the constitutional reform commission could suggest a method of appointing judges which guarantees the independence of the judiciary, a most essential element in any democracy. It affects everything. When a businessman, politician, ordinary citizens, organizations, media does not have access to justice nothing will work. That’s why so many reversals of judgement are happening at the CCJ. Pity that the CCJ Judges don’t insult bad judgements, as the Law Lords at the Privy Council do.
For example, last night 11/5/24, I watched Amanza Walton MP being interviewed by someone on YouTube. I heard her complaining that a huge impediment to her functioning was occasioned by the state media refusing to give her coverage. Just a few months ago, I again reminded very senior members of the opposition of Justice Lennox Deyalsingh of T&T’s High Court 1985 ruling in the UNC’s MP Rambajan matter, that the state media was owned by all the people of T&T – not only those in power – and therefore time for politicians on all state media must be awarded according to the seats in parliament. That means in Guyana, if the PPP gets 51 minutes coverage, the opposition must get 49 minutes.
Editor, I gave that ruling to Mr. Hoyte since 1996, compliments of Sir Fenton Ramsahoye, since I was a broadcaster at that time and was suffering from the unfair advantage GTV had over me, since it was receiving a huge subvention and was competing unfairly for advertising. Since Guyana acceded to the CCJ, in 2005, such a clear juridical reference guarantees a definite outcome at the CCJ. It is unlawful and a violation of our constitution for the government in power to behave as if they own the state media. So MP Amanza must ask for time/space on NCN/Chronicle to respond to the MP she is shadowing, and if she is denied the time/space, she should file an injunction in the Supreme Court, citing just that one precedent.
I am also against the state media being given massive amounts of state subvention because it creates inequity. It also offends the rights of 49% of the citizens who would like to hear the opinion of the opposition in this country. Freedom of speech not only appertains to one’s opinion being communicated to their supporters, it also violates the rights of opposition supporters whose freedoms of speech is also being eroded, since article 19 of the UN’s Declaration on Civil and Political Rights, which Guyana signed on to, states that freedom of speech means not only to give information, but to receive information. Editor, even you and your newspaper are being disadvantaged.
When the state media is given these huge subventions from the budget, they enjoy an unfair advantage over private broadcasters/media houses, thereby depriving them not only of their constitutional rights to fair and equal competition, but also revenue, since the state media boasts of enhanced coverage etc. to advertisers and then outbid private local broadcasters for advertising revenue. These are the actions which have decimated the private TV broadcasting industry quite significantly in this country, and one reason was to disallow the opposition from having their views aired on a sympathetic station; this constitutes active destruction of the rights of anyone who is not a supporter of the PPP.
Editor, I am also saying that many other institutions are deliberately being made dysfunctional in this society – the Ethnic Relations Commission, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards, the Pro-curement Commission, the Broadcasting Authority, even the Central Bank. Editor, I, a person who is over 70 years old, have put my life’s saving into the local banking system which is very willing to give me 1.5 percent interest on my deposit. But when the banks lend the 93 billion as they did in 2023, they’re surely not lending at less than 9% to 11 %!! Who exactly regulates such madness?
In due course, I am sure that others will be offering more insights into the other areas I have not identified, since quite a bit is wrong and we must look at every aspect of our situation, in our efforts as citizens to level the playing field which any decent democracy must have. It must be said, and I am saying it, I know that Amanza’s complaint is valid, but her party was in power from 2015 to 2020 and really didn’t do much to rectify many of the things I have referred to here. It’s as if it never entered their consciences that at some time, they also would have to face another period in opposition with all the disadvantages that brings.
Sincerely,
Tony Vieira
