Latest update January 17th, 2025 6:30 AM
The Local Government Commission is here but for Stabroek News
Dear Editor,
Finally, the Local Government Commission has become a reality. It is another of the coalition government’s manifesto promises that have finally been realized. Yes, it did take a while; but it did not come into being because of the daily ad that the Stabroek News ran on the front page of its daily.
I observed the Stabroek News publication being able to carry out its mission of reminding the government of one of its campaign promises. Well, it is its democratic right to do so, as after all it is now publishing in a democratic society, without fear of reprisals.
Remember how the Jagdeo regime was choking the life out of this publishing house because it was not playing ball, as it fawningly did, from 1992 to around the mid-2000, from which time the management apparently became convinced of the undemocratic ways of the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic(PPP/C) government.
Where was its voice during those years when the subject of the Public Procurement Commission was a very topical issue? Why did it not do a similar daily, public service advisory, reminding the Jagdeo cabal that because of the absence of this commission, it afforded the PPP/C government the perfect cover to award very lucrative contracts to their friends and cronies, thereby causing a playing field, that was glaringly not level?
Recall the now infamous and disrespectful tossing over the shoulders of a court order by the now late Janet Jagan? In any jurisdiction, that would have attracted unanimous condemnation by any media, as being contemptuous of the country’s laws. Stabroek News was deafeningly silent.
In fact, its late founder and publisher David DeCairies, when asked as to the non-criticism by the paper, publicly said that he thought it best not to criticize Mrs.Jagan’s actions, because of wanting to give the government a fair chance of consolidating its democracy.
Subsequent events were to have proven him incorrect, causing him and some staff members to protest in the vicinity of the CARICOM Secretariat, over Jagdeo’s decision to withdraw government ads from the Stabroek newsprint.
I will credit Dr. Henry Jeffrey, at the time a PPP/C cabinet member, as being perhaps the first person to begin his public concerns in the StabroekNews letter columns over what was seen as a decided State policy of shoot to kill.
It truly boggles my mind but I am not surprised that Stabroek News is contributing to further racial and political divisions in our society. I am reminded of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar about reason: O Judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts, and men have lost their reason!’ Good sense and reasoning are being buried to further their sinister political agendas.
Sincerely yours
Earl Hamilton
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