Picture seemed to mock official explanations – Rashleigh Jackson

Nov 19, 2010 News

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Former Foreign Minister of Guyana, Rashleigh Jackson, has expressed bafflement over official explanations offered following the cleaning of a trench on the Railway Embankment road in which the gap aback of columnist Freddie Kissoon’s home was skipped last week.
In a letter to the editor on Tuesday, last, Jackson, who served as this country’s Foreign Affairs Minister between 1978 and 1990, noted that a published photograph in the newspaper last week Thursday clearly made the explanations from official sources appear ridiculous.
“I was baffled by certain explanations given regarding the recent clearing of a trench south of the railway embankment road in the vicinity of the International Convention Centre. It is really bizarre for the picture depicting the results of the cleansing exercise seemed to mock those explanations!”
Jackson said that he found solace in two African proverbs which he recommended to everyone, especially those who seek the public trust. Making a clear reference to the efforts by the relevant authorities to explain the obviously petty action, the former diplomat noted that truth is like oil, “No matter how much water you pour on it, it will always float and the deceiver’s ultimate victim is himself.”
Jackson’s statement is the latest in a number of criticisms over the incident which has been viewed as a direct attack on free speech.
Kissoon’s daily commentary as a columnist in Kaieteur News has over time raised the ire of the administration.
On Tuesday also, another columnist, attorney-at-law, Christopher Ram, said that the President should call for the resignation of Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn, over his excuse on the trench-clearing exercise.
Last week Wednesday, workers preparing for the upcoming UNASUR meeting in which several Latin Heads of Government are scheduled to come to Guyana, cleaned a trench running aback of Kissoon’s home at Turkeyen, but skipped the section outside his premises.
After the photo was published in the following day’s edition of this newspaper, workers were seen early the following morning cleaning the duckweed that they had left behind
“Not only is this an affront on Freddie Kissoon but also to the entire country,” Ram noted.
“And they compounded it with a facile excuse that suggested that they think Guyanese are a pack of fools.”
While government has denied that workers were ordered to skip the section of trench outside Kissoon’s home, opposition parties have also lashed out about the action, calling it deliberate.
“Jagdeo should call on Robeson Benn to apologize to Freddie Kissoon and the country for the inanity of that excuse,” Ram had stressed
The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) had also condemned the incident.
According to Opposition Leader Robert Corbin, the constitution clearly gives the citizens the right to criticise.
“The government must be condemned for the act and there must be a great resolve by the people to get rid of this dictatorship,” he said.
The official also made reference to past attacks on others who exercised their rights to criticise, including prominent citizens like businessman, Yesu Persaud, and the Correias.
Corbin’s criticisms mirrored those of a number of Opposition officials who also slammed the incident.
Leader of the Alliance For Change, Raphael Trotman, called for the removal of the PPP/C administration also for the incident.
According to Trotman, it was clear that the act was a deliberate one to stifle press freedom.
Government for the most part has kept quiet on the issue, with many officials saying that they did not read the subject newspaper or disagreed totally that it was a deliberate act.
When asked to explain the odd development, Minister Benn last week Wednesday evening had said that there were two teams clearing the canal and they were working from the two extremities. He said that when they called it a day they had reached the section of the canal outside Kissoon’s home.
Minister Benn had said that anyone who concluded that Kissoon was being targeted was promoting a conspiracy theory.
Housing Minister Irfaan Ali, insisted that the charge was ridiculous, and concurred with Benn as to the circumstances.
“It is ridiculous to assume that the incident was done on purpose. The day had come to an end…Workers would not purposely take care of every gap and leave one out, which happened to be Mr. Kissoon’s.  It was cleaned the next day.”
Many contend that Kissoon’s unrelenting criticism of the administration led to the ‘vindictive’ response.
PPP/C General Secretary, Donald Ramotar, took a more direct approach, he said that he had spoken to the foreman of the clearing exercise on the report that was carried in this newspaper and the official denied that he even knew that Kissoon lived there.
“I think that it is nonsense to say that Freddie Kissoon’s home was bypassed.”
The Parliamentarian said emphatically that there were no instructions to skip the area in front of Kissoon’s home.
The outspoken columnist, meanwhile, is adamant that the act was a clear case of discrimination.
According to Kissoon, workers told him that they had been contracted to clean the canal, located immediately south of the embankment. They also said that they were ordered not to clear the trench in front of his home.
It was only a few months ago that Kissoon was attacked during a visit to a supermarket.

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