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Luncheon disagrees GINA-placed ads were distasteful

May 16, 2014 News

– rejects charge of political motivation

It would seem as if the Attorney General is in some amount of hot water after publicly disagreeing with Government Information Agency (GINA)’s move to embark upon a campaign to smear the People’s National Congress (PNC).
GINA recently went on an operation to not only smear the youth arm of the People’s National Congress and the House of Israel but, seemingly, to also promote racial violence in Guyana. This was done through the placement of motive-reflecting advertisements in the local newspapers.
The Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, told Kaieteur News that the ads were distasteful and sought to put a stop its publication.
But yesterday, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon sought to make it pellucid that his and Nandlall’s opinions are not in sync on this issue.
Dr. Luncheon was at the time speaking at the weekly post-Cabinet Press briefing held at the Office of the President.
He told the media, “I don’t know if the AG has been appointed to voice his opinion on this matter, I would say it is his opinion, I don’t share it…He ain’t speaking for me!”
Dr. Luncheon said that the Government Information Agency (GINA) acted upon its own when it embarked upon the campaign.
Asked about political motivation, Dr Luncheon said that a media practitioner at GINA, acting in autonomy, decided to place the advertisements. He opined that the ads are not political in nature as they merely reflect information that was available “to all and sundry”.
Dr. Luncheon said that GINA exercised its autonomy and sought to publicize the happenings of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry for those who haven’t heard it on the news, read it online, in the newspapers, or saw the live streaming.
Kaieteur News was informed that GINA was instructed to place the ads. The source said “it was a concoction by the two information liaisons”.
Dr. Luncheon said the issue is still to be discussed at the Cabinet level.
It has long been the argument of the PNC that government’s sole reason for the Commission of Inquiry (COI) is to embarrass the party, especially since hearsay evidence is being allowed.
Kaieteur News understands that the state media was told to place special emphasis on the happenings of the COI.
GINA has booked advertisements to be published in the various newspapers criticizing the Parliamentary Opposition for cutting the budgetary allocation for certain agencies, including its own and that of the National Communications Network (NCN).
More recently it has also been publishing advertisements purporting to report on the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry.
There were various quotations from Reverend Reuben Gilbert, Lawrence Rodney and Karen De Souza, all witnesses who testified before the Commission.
The political opposition told Kaieteur News that each day the Government Information Agency is justifying why the Parliamentary opposition could not vote any allocation to it.
The advertisement which came from GINA was booked for three days, but a call was made to this publication’s advertising department yesterday cancelling the publication of the third booking which was meant for today’s paper.

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