Nocturnal encounter with Geeta Chandan of the Chronicle

Mar 16, 2018 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

On Wednesday night, I walked out of the Aquatic Centre with my dog on her harness. As I moved towards my car, parked on the parapet to the side of the gate to the Centre, this car drove up quickly on the parapet next to mine. I swiftly picked up my dog, and was about to open the door when this good-looking woman came out.
Immediately I recognised her. Long ago both husband and wife were my students at UG. Geeta Chandan –Edmond, legal advisor in the Ministry of the Presidency and Chairperson of the Chronicle Board was dapperly dressed in Wall Street working garb. She greeted me as Mr. Kissoon. I told her to dispense with the formality since it was a long time ago I taught her and she is a person of national importance in her own right. She said it was matter of respect but I told her I am cool with “Freddie.”
She said was driving home and recognised me and took advantage of the opportunity to speak to me. I asked if we were on or off record. She said the purpose of her visit was to be on record. I put down my dog to pee, then, put her back in my car and went over to Geeta’s car. Our conversation began.
She described uncomfortable feelings she is having over the Chronicle situation where David Hinds and Lincoln Lewis were dropped as columnists. She explained that she has received calls questioning her integrity.
Geeta intoned that our meeting was for the purpose of clarification. She said, “I want Guyana to know that both as a lawyer and Chairman of Chronicle, and a citizen of Guyana, I do not agree with the discontinuation of the columns.”
I interrupted and queried, “As Chronicle Chairman, you do not agree but you voted to keep the two men out,” to which she exclaimed, “No, no, no, that is where you are wrong, that is why I want to talk to you.”
She indicated that the press got it wrong. The board meeting on Tuesday was to determine if the board had the legal authority to overturn the editor’s decision. She said that was what directors voted on. From her reading of the authority of the Editor-in-Chief, he has insulation from the board to make the kind of decisions like the one in the Hinds/Lewis case.
Her eyes widened, and she became agitated. “Freddie, please publish this; Nigel Williams was wrong to do away with the columns and I said at the meeting [that] it was a reckless. It still is but he has the authority to so do.”
I chimed in; “Hold it Geeta, you really believe Williams did that on his own? You didn’t know that was an edict from powerful players that Williams had to carry out?” She looked at me with startled eyes and said, “I don’t know about that. I am telling you how I feel; I believe in freedom of the press and as Board Chairman, I would like to see Williams’ decision overturned.”
It was my time to intervene. I said I was not a lawyer but since the issue broke, I read the terms of reference of the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) and number 11 on those terms of reference subjects him to the authority of the board. I roughly quoted number 11 for her, since I didn’t have the document on me. It says the EIC can only fire freelance staff for unsatisfactory performance and he must supply the board with proof of such. I asked if Hinds and Lewis were freelance staff and she answered in the affirmative.
For the first time in our conversation, she looked at ease when I brought up number 11. There was an infinitesimal smile on her worried visage, and she quietly turned to me and in whispering tones said; “It is in number 11 that Williams is at his weakest point, and as Chairman, I plan to write him to ask him for proof of the unsatisfactory work of the two men.”
I came back again with the politics of the decision but Geeta was pushing her pad way down the wicket to keep out the unplayable doosra.
I said, “Come on Geeta, leave Williams alone; he didn’t make that decision” to which she replied, “He said he did as Board Chairman and I have to do what is required of me; I am a lawyer and a former magistrate. I believe in fairness, and what Williams did was not fair.
She came over to my car, complimented me for having a beautiful dog and drove away with the words, ‘Please put my position to the Guyanese people.”

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