…for press freedom
On the day after it was announced that Guyana had slipped three places downwards on the World Press Freedom Index, PM Nagamootoo, who is in charge of “Information”, was delivering the feature address at the Government Public Relations Conference held at the National Racket Centre! The locale’s name couldn’t have been more apropos, since it’s the “racket” Nagamootoo and his shill — the DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC INFORMATION — are engaged in!!
Do these fellas, who claim to be “mavens” of information, know how these titles strike folks from real democracies? Minister and Director of Information?? Jeez!! That’s straight out of 1984 Orwellian doublespeak!! The Press Index ranking just mentioned a few of the sins the PNC-led government’s been committing: “often use its defamation laws, which provide for fines and up to two years in jail, to silence opposition journalists; (and) the members of the media regulatory authority are appointed directly by the president.”
They didn’t even mention the biased and outrageous reporting by the state-owned Chronic, which at this point makes Pravda look like the London Times. The heavy hand of Nagamootoo and his shill are evident in every edition of the newspaper — which is subsidised by the taxpayers of this country. Imagine: Nagamootoo was addressing the PR heads of the various ministries; yes, we have those in addition to the Minister of Information and his Director and staff.
The PR hacks had the nerve to complain that the state media wasn’t giving enough coverage to Government’s activities!! On that day, the Chronic had its front page devoted to Pressie meeting Queen Elizabeth; pg 2: Pressie pressing the flesh and inviting a British Minister to “come on down!!”; pg 3: elaborating on Pressie and the Queen’s tete-a-tete; pg 4: about the police; pg 5: Harmon addressing Public servants; pg 5: editorial ripping apart the former AG Nandlall; pg 6: PM addressing his PR confab; pg 7: Harmon on Code of Conduct; pg 8: Min of Finance Jordan on economy!! You get the idea??
You’d never suspect Guyana has an Opposition with just ONE seat less than the Government!! And placing the final nail in the state paper — to ensure our press freedom index keeps heading south — the Chronic announced Ernesto Woolford’s the new Director of the state media board. He’ll be backed by his protégé and Opposition critic, Gordon Moseley; the Director of the Government Information Agency, Beverly Alert (No! This is a different lackey than the Director of Public Information, who licks only the PM’s boots)!!
The descent of the Press Freedom Index of course mirrors the overall authoritarian creep in all parts of the government. En guard, citoyen!!
…for Indian Monument
With May 5th – Indian Arrival Day – around the corner, is the collapse of the walls of the Indian Monument’s base at Palmyra a portent of deeper contradictions? This monument is a gift from the Government of India, and it was years in the pipeline. It’s supposed to symbolise the first Indians who stepped ashore Guyana some miles downriver, at Highbury. But with the site away from the madding crowd, some worthies decided to move it to Palmyra.
Is the collapse a signal that the gods aren’t happy with the move? Or is it just a case of a shoddy contractor doing the usual shoddy job and getting caught in a shoddy rush?? You want to unveil a monument standing on a concrete base on May 5th and you’re putting up HOLLOW BLOCKS a week before?? And that when the Monument was in the country for four months??
And while we’re on the subject of Information and Press Freedom: Why can’t the press get the name of the contractor? Portent of corruption?
…on exams timing
If May 5th as a public holiday for Indian Arrival rubs the administration of UG the wrong way, what’s their beef with May 1st, Labour Day?? They scheduled law exams on both days.
Will there be a discrimination lawsuit based on “Adverse Impact”??
