Nothing in Guyana works

Nov 12, 2024 Letters

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Dear Editor

Nothing in Guyana works. I will start with the two most important ones, which in my opinion is interfering with the functioning of the others, first, to all intents and purposes, we don’t have a functioning Parliament, no matter what the opposition says there, it falls on deaf ears.

I was a member of the Guyana parliament for four years and I never saw the PPP retract one number or word from anything they presented to the house, even after hours of debate.

Second, our legal system has not as yet recovered from the final arbiter of all our legal matters. It was hoped that it would have recovered faster with a Chief Justice like Justice Roxane George Wiltshire, and the CCJ. Editor, I’m not saying that all the judges are not fearless and impartial, a few are definitely emerging, but by and large more independence must be visible, perhaps, the constitutional reform could suggest a method of appointing judges which guarantees the independence of the judiciary, a most essential element in any democracy.

It affects everything, when a businessman, politician, ordinary citizens, organisations, media do not have access to justice nothing will work. That’s why so many reversals of judgement are happening at the CCJ.  Pity that the CCJ Judges does not insult bad judgements, as the Law Lords at the Privy Council do.

For example, on the night of 11/5/24, I watched the Hon Amanza Waldron MP being interviewed by someone on YouTube, to my astonishment, I heard her complaining, that a huge impediment to her functioning was occasioned by the State-owned media refusing to give her coverage. Just a few months ago, I again presented the decision in a 1985 case in Trinidad and Tobago, [T&T] to very senior members of the opposition, reminding them that since 1985 in the High Court of T&T Justice Lennox Deyalsingh ruled in the UNC’s MP Rambajan matter, that the State-owned media was owned by all the people of T&T not only those in power, and therefore, time for politicians on all State-owned media must be awarded according to the seats in parliament i.e. in Guyana, if the PPP gets 51 minutes coverage, the opposition must get 49 minutes.

Editor, I gave that ruling to the late Former President Desmond Hoyte since 1996 compliments of Sir Fenton Ramsahoye since I was a broadcaster at that time and was suffering from the unfair advantage GTV had over me, since it was receiving a huge subvention and was competing unfairly with me for advertising. Since Jagdeo had agreed to the CCJ by 2005, such a case with such a clear decision, guarantees a definite outcome at the CCJ. I have since given it to many senior members of the opposition on numerous occasions as recently as this year.

It’s unlawful and a violation of our constitution for the government in power to behave as if they own the State media.  So MP Amanza must ask for time/space on GBC/GTV/Chronicle to respond to something which has been made public by the person she is shadowing, and if she is denied the time/space, she should file in the Supreme Court, naming just that one precedent. I am also against the State media also being given those massive amounts in subvention of the taxpayers of Guyana’s citizen, because it creates not only the inequity of the opposition not having their opinions heard  in the public domain, it also offends the rights of the citizens who would like to hear the opinion of the opposition in this country i.e. 49% of the public, since freedom of speech not only appertains to your opinion being communicated to your supporters, it also violates the rights of their supporters whose freedom of speech is also being eroded, since the article 19 of the UN’s declaration of civil and political rights which Guyana signed, states that freedom of speech is not only to give information, but also to receive information.

Editor, even you and your paper are being disadvantaged since when the State media is given these huge subventions from the budget, they enjoy an unfair advantage over private broadcasters/media houses, thereby depriving them not only of their constitutional rights to fair and equal competition, but also revenue, since the State-owned media boasting of their enhanced coverage, etc. to advertisers seek to outbid the private local broadcasters for advertising revenue, actions which have decimated the private TV broadcasting industry quite significantly in this country. For one reason to disallow the opposition to have their views aired on a station which is sympathetic to them. This constitutes an active destruction of the rights of everyone who is not a diehard supporter of the PPP.

Editor, I am also saying that many other institutions are deliberately being made dysfunctional in this society, The Ethnics Relation Commission, the Guyana Bureau of Standards, the Procurement Commission, the Broadcasting Authority, even the Central Bank, Editor I, a person who is over 70 years old, have put my life’s saving in the local banking system which is very willing to give me 1.5 percent interest on my deposit, but when they are lending the 93 billion they loaned did in 2023, they’re surely not lending at less than 9% to 11 %!! Who exactly oversees regulating such madness?

In due course, I am sure that others will be offering some insights into the other areas I have identified, since quite a bit is wrong and we must look at every aspect of our situation, in our efforts as citizens to level the playing field which any decent democracy MUST have.

It must be said, and I am saying it, I know that Hon Amanza’s complaint is valid, but her party was in power from 2015 to 2020 and really didn’t do much to rectify many of the things I have referred to here. It’s as if it never entered their consciences that at some time, they also would have to face another period in opposition with all the disadvantages it brings.

I don’t want anyone to get the wrong impression about what I have said here, the PNC has visually cleansed itself of all those leaders who disgraced the party in 2020. Unlike other parties, the PPP included, which stubbornly defend those in their ranks who have very substantially disgraced their organizations. And everyone knows who I mean. And it is my opinion that Hon. Amanza is pretty close to being at the very top of our political pyramid.

Sincerely

Tony Vieira

(Nothing in Guyana works)

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• Chief Justice like Justice Roxane George, Guyana parliament, Guyana works, ordinary citizens, organisations, politician

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