The use of legal force to muzzle an independent media entity is absolutely repugnant

Jun 29, 2019 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

On June 27, it was reported by the Kaieteur News that PPP former president Donald Ramotar has moved to the courts in an attempt to silence that newspaper with regard to reports of the granting of oil licences. Editor, such actions are unacceptable.
Former President Ramotar, while in office, had given licences to two companies, JHI and Mid Atlantic to operate in the Canje oil block in March 2015. Incredibly, neither of the two companies has any demonstrated experience in any sort of oil extraction processes, let alone the massive technical matter of deep-water oil operations.
The Kaieteur News simply reported the facts. Therefore, for a former president to attempt to use legal force to muzzle an independent media entity is absolutely repugnant. Of course, the anti-democratic nature of the PPP is well established; one need only remember the prorogation and suspension of parliamentary democracy under the Donald Ramotar regime.
The fact is that the matter reported by Kaieteur News is of massive national interest. The issues reported, also, call into question the judgement of past and current PPP leaders, and call at issue their concern for the welfare and wellbeing of ordinary Guyanese.
The entire matter, from the granting of the licences to the attempt to gag an independent newspaper, brings to the fore the questions of whether or not the PPP can ever be trusted to govern Guyana again? After all, if one is honest, does one need to try to fight an independent newspaper?

Sincerely,
Mark DaCosta

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