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Harmon has a right to defend himself but factually

May 17, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,

We have studied the comments in Kaieteur News and Stabroek News by many contributors, concerning their expressions of disappointment with the APNU-AFC administration, and especially, recent comments expressing alarm concerning the story about a threatened libel suit by Minister Harmon against Kaieteur News(KN 13/5/2016). We, like many others, had hoped for a very sophisticated APNU-AFC administration, especially considering the things ‘they’ said about the PPP.
No question, Minister Harmon has a right to defend himself in the Tiwari-Bishanlin-Revenue Authority-China trip affair, and any other matter of public interest. The defense should be based on a coherent story, buttressed by unassailable facts. However, his latest action makes him look like the PPP which he recently criticised brutally. Amazingly, at times he used the same Kaiteur News as his battering ram. Recall his moral clarity on the rights of the Fourth Estate in the Revenue Authority-Kaieteur News- Anil Nandalall– Former President Jagdeo affair. Some might now say ‘we told you so’. We will say this; threatening media houses that criticise and ask searching questions, when the purpose is to make government better and accountable, is not the solution.
The about face hostility towards KN will not increase public support for the APNU-AFC, whose hold on power is tenuous to begin with. It will most likely provoke more opposition to it, weaken support among those who now support it, and raise public disappointment, anger and eventually resentment against it. The main thing however is not to be frightened into silence. This is one of the mistakes which were made with previous administrations, until it was too late. The rest is now bitter history.
We may now legitimately begin to ask this question; did the people make an error electing APNU -AFC by voting to remove a terrible PPP government, only to be replaced by, God forbid, a potentially worse administration? Note how soon after it was elected it has begun to behave this way. One does not recall even the PPP bearing its fangs this early during its 23 year rule. A point we have tried to make repeatedly in our letters, published and unpublished, is that the condition of Guyana’s governmental and political circumstance is not an individual matter. It is culturally negative and retrogressive.
Among other things the disdain for freedom of expression and willingness to use tough tactics against critics is revealing itself. What comes next Mr. Editor? Threats to ones mean of livelihood? And when that does not work the threat level is raised again? You know the drill. Will Guyana, again, drift backwards to intimidation and fear? We have argued, and we will maintain until experience demonstrate otherwise, that some postures we have observed are partially rooted in and were disfigured by decades of communist/socialists style authoritarianism, passed down like DNA from one administration to another. They are certainly not the product of a democratic experience and culture. Unless this goes away real change will not come to Guyana.
Some don’t get it. The people don’t want the type of ham-fisted intimidation tactics which Minister Harmon is projecting to the media. Guyanese deserve a better politics and style of government. ‘It is time’, indeed, to move on and leave the worst of the past behind. All we will say for now is that we continue to hope for a better Guyana, and that a more enlightened and progressive culture will rise soon. It is not the media’s fault. Public criticism of government officials seeks to improve governance.
Ivor Carryl

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