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Jagdeo’s action vicious, vindictive – says WPA

Jul 17, 2010 News

…condemns attack against Freddie Kissoon, Kaieteur News

“The court action brought by President Jagdeo against Kaieteur News columnist, Freddie Kissoon, the Editor-in-chief, Adam Harris, and the National Media Publishing Company Limited, Publishers and Printer of Kaieteur News, is yet another in the series of increasingly brazen attempts by Jagdeo and the Government of Guyana to trample on citizens’ fundamental rights.”
That is according to the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), which yesterday by way of a public statement, said that wherever democracies exist leaders of governments in those countries and the policies they introduce are subject to public scrutiny and criticisms.
“We just have to look at what is happening in France where the government of President Sarkozy is under fire and investigation because politicians from the ruling party are accused of receiving inappropriately monies/contributions from one of the country’s wealthiest citizens.”
The WPA also pointed to Former Prime Minister Olmert of Israel as another example of a leader of a country, who, after being criticised by its citizens, was investigated and removed from office because he was found to be complicit in several corrupt transactions. France and Israel are not the exceptions but the rule, he said.
The party urged that in Guyana it must be no different. “If we respect ourselves….Critics and other citizens in the course of exercising their right to criticise governments are also expected to propose remedies on how problems are to be addressed.”
It was pointed out, also, that on occasions the remedies proposed will include calls to remove perceived repressive governments from office. “If that is what it is that is how it must be.”
The party said that Kissoon and the Publisher of Kaieteur News have incurred the collective wrath of Jagdeo and “his cronies because he dared to speak out against a policy of the government which Kissoon believes militates against the interests of Afro Guyanese citizens and which Kaieteur News was bold enough to carry in one of its issues.”
The WPA says that it notes that the Jagdeo regime is attempting to use every institution it controls and even those not yet in its grip to exercise its domination over the people of this country.
“While it has written to that phantom institution, the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) which is controlled by one of its best known lackeys, Bishop Juan Edghill, to get it to take action against two media houses and columnists and writers whom Edghill chooses not to publicly identify for the same crimes that he accuses Kissoon and Kaieteur News of committing, Jagdeo has now moved to the court for redress.
“WPA is forced to ask the question how many bites of the same cherry does this oppressor want to have?”
The party say said that it is clear that Jagdeo believes that he can exploit perceived differences between Kissoon and others in the society for his benefit.
“We wish to assure him that we recognise the game he is playing and we will not sit idly by and allow the persecution of Kissoon, Kaieteur News or any other columnist, reporter and/or media house whom Jagdeo selects for his condign treatment…What is at stake here is the Constitutional right to freedom of expression.”
The party recalled that the term “King Kong” was first used by Walter Rodney and the WPA in the height of the civil rebellion against the Forbes Burnham regime when describing the excesses of Burnham.
The party, in its public condemnation of Jagdeo’s actions, said that it is “vicious and vindictive and we publicly salute Kissoon for having the courage to reactivate an important slogan that was used in the struggle against the Burnham dictatorship and applying it to Guyana’s present leader and champion.”
The party says that it identifies with, “and supports the remarks for which he is now being persecuted as being fair and justifiable comment and we call on all Guyanese to repeat them as you go about your daily chores.”
The statement said that because the WPA believes in freedom, it feels compelled to treat Jagdeo’s action against Freddie Kissoon and the Printer and Publishers of Kaieteur News with the contempt it deserves.

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