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IS THIS ANOTHER ATTACK ON KAIETEUR NEWS?

Jul 02, 2017 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

The President needs to stop this nonsense that he is engaged in over the selection of a Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission. He should quit the posture of setting criteria for a Chairman and simply decide whether there is any person on the lists submitted that he agrees with. If he does not agree with any submission, he should say so, but he cannot be taking this absurd position that all six persons must meet his criteria.
This selection of a Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission should be done early so as to help prepare for the holding of local government elections in two years. There are still problems to be resolved. It took too long a time for the results of the last local government election to be made known and for the overall turnout to be calculated.
GECOM is still not well-oiled machinery. There were serious problems during the last general and regional elections, some of which were connected with the decision of APNU+AFC to have schools of its supporters standing guard outside of polling stations.
The PPP blundered big-time, also, when it failed to ensure that it had polling agents at polling stations within Georgetown. A whole series of irregularities were alleged to have been committed as a result, that is according to the PPP.
The selection of a Chairperson of GECOM is going to solve a lot of problems. It will ensure that action is taken early to correct any shortcomings within the system.
But there is another issue which needs urgent addressing, because it impinges on freedom of expression and press freedom. The absence of a Chairperson of GECOM means that the Commissioners of that body cannot meet and address the issue of whether there is an assault on press freedom by the Guyana Elections Commission.
Earlier this year, Kaieteur News carried stories about the procurement practices of the Guyana Elections Commission. Kaieteur News has witnessed in recent times that advertisements from GECOM are not being placed in its newspaper.
Kaieteur News is wondering whether there is a connection between the exposure of the procurement practices at GECOM and the recent non-placing of ads in its newspaper.
This is a matter which needs to be investigated. The early appointment of a Chairperson would allow for the matter to be investigated. In the meantime, there is nothing preventing GECOM from explaining why there has been a reduction in the advertisements to Kaieteur News.
The Guyana Press Association should be alert as to what is taking place. It seems to be very vigilant about concerns over governmental interference in the media. It should also be on the lookout for agencies such as GECOM which are not controlled by government, but which are funded by taxpayers and should not be doing anything which can be construed as an attack on press freedom.
Kaieteur News has survived the withholding of advertisements during the Jagdeo administration. But dating back long before Jagdeo took power, this newspaper was denied government advertisements. No government advertisements were given to this newspaper during the first ten years of its existence. There is no parallel like this in any other part of the Caribbean.
Kaieteur News will continue to be a watchdog for the people. It will continue to expose wrongdoing, whatever the price to be paid.
In the meantime, the impasse over the appointment of a Chairperson of GECOM should be ended so that among other things, an investigation can be launched as to why ads are allegedly being withheld from this newspaper.

 

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