Jagdeo admits PPP’s interference in press freedom but says APNU+AFC overdoing it

Apr 12, 2017 News

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By Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has admitted that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic

(PPP/C), while in Government, was guilty of interfering with press freedom. However, the Opposition Leader is of the opinion that the Coalition government is taking it to another level. Jagdeo is urging President David Granger to retreat from this “dangerous” path.
Recently, President Granger said there is nothing wrong with a government minister writing to suggest where articles should be placed in the state newspaper.
Jagdeo said that Granger’s comments were made after Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan came under fire for penning a letter to the Editor of the Guyana Chronicle. In that letter, Bulkan condemned the newspaper for not giving enough prominence to the article on the swearing-in of mayors and deputy mayors. Bulkan had expressed concern that the article on mayors was relegated to page eight.
President Granger said that he does not view it as interference in the work of the media, but as the Minister giving his opinion on the matter, just as every citizen has a right to do. He also said the Guyana Press Association’s (GPA) condemnation of the Minister’s action is not justifiable.
However, Jagdeo—who led a government that was guilty of similar transgressions—said that Granger is totally out of place and is guilty of reneging on promises to allow press freedom.
Jagdeo said that it is unfortunate that Granger does not see the wrong in Bulkan’s actions. He said that while the President announced that his Ministers can direct where the articles are to be placed, he “skillfully” avoided saying if they are

also free to direct the Editors on content. “Because the GPA spoke about the minister who insisted that articles about himself and PNC must be sent to him before publishing.”
Jagdeo said that this goes to the heart of editorial independence of the Chronicle. “They have to send their articles to be cleared elsewhere that means the content is determined by the executive.”
The Opposition Leader referred to the directive from the PM that all headlines must be cleared with his office. In 2016, the Prime Minister was criticized by the US State Department over his 2015 attempt to suppress freedom of the press, particularly in the state media.
This is what Jagdeo referred to. Nagamootoo had reprimanded a reporter attached to Chronicle over an article which he thought was unfavourable to the government. The offending article was published on August 25, 2015 under the headline “Govt. blunders on Budget Estimates … violates laws assented to by President Granger”.
Following that contentious front page headline, the Office of the Prime Minister had declared that it would be vetting all headlines before their publication.
Jagdeo added that Imran Khan who is the Director of Public Information and an executive of the AFC, is also the Chairman of Chronicle Board.
“When we were in Office the last two chairpersons were not members of our party. Imran Khan is a leading member of the executive of the AFC.”
Jagdeo said that the Director of GINA is another card holding member of the AFC executive. The Director of GINA under the PPP was “at that time” not a card holding member of the PPP.
“So this is even more political than when the Peoples Progressive Party was in office,” said Jagdeo.
He went further to say that it is not only more political but smacks of AFC cronyism. “These are the same sort of things that they campaigned and claimed that they detested,” said Jagdeo.

President Granger has long maintained that his government would not meddle in the affairs of the media but Jagdeo said that this is just dry talk.
The GPA most recently condemned the continued role of Khan, as Chairman of the Board of Chronicle. GPA said that this sends an unmistakable signal of the executive government controlling the work of the Chronicle.
The President of the GPA is a former editor of the Chronicle under this present administration.
A letter from the Association said, “A senior government Minister continues to dictate coverage of his office to the Editor- in-Chief and often has stories sent for his approval once it has to do with his office or the PNC, the main party in the governing coalition.”
In addition, GPA said that it is aware that the weekly meeting of the Prime Minister with senior executives of the state media continues to be used as a tool to dictate editorial content and to silence or trivialize opposition views.
”These actions run counter and, in fact, are in direct opposition to President David Granger’s repeated assertions that his Government will allow state newspaper, TV and radio to function as independent entities.”
The association said that it is calling on President David Granger to ensure that Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo and the rest of his Cabinet understand his stated policy on the state media, and to urge them to let their actions be guided accordingly.
GPA will be transmitting its statement to the association of Caribbean Media Workers, international press freedom body Reporters Without Borders, and other international bodies as part of a dossier of instances of the deteriorating state media climate in Guyana.

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