PPP/C: Media and Misfits

Mar 03, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor

I have a few things to say regarding the misfits in the People’s Progressive Party/Civic and ‘supposed influencers in Guyana’ who use the local dailies for various purposes. A quick glance, covering the period Feb 18-Mar 02 2025 reveals quite a few startling realities, but I will not get into ‘evidence’ for all of my statements, as time and space will be too prohibitive. My overall comments relate to just two matters, first, the print media and secondly, Minister Charles Ramson Junior.

My cursory perusal of the four dailies (Chronicle, Times, Stabroek and Kaieteur News) reveal that a total of 188 letters were given space (in the time frame I mentioned), with Stabroek publishing 99, Kaieteur News 55, Times 24 and Chronicle 10. I personally glean from this, that if our local newspapers serve the purpose of electioneering and winning voters, then the combined government output (Chronicle and Times) is lagging in desperation. For one, and I cannot prove this, both Chronicle and Times use a few selected writers, ensconced under various pseudonyms.

Specifically, the Chronicle, according to Freddie Kissoon, is notorious for using ghost writers. In “The Answer” (Oct 6, 2009-Kaieteur News), he detailed that “The fictitious letter writers in the Chronicle and the pseudonyms on the other, GINA, are the same people. What the Guyanese people need to know is that there aren’t dozens of real persons sending in letters to the Chronicle, praising the Government. It is a ‘factory’ turning out pen-names by a small group of people. These people are PPP leaders, Ministers of the Government and information officers at the state agency, GINA. The strategy is to use a few hundred false names in the Chronicle so as to deceive people into thinking that there are citizens out there supporting the Government.””

I firmly hold this view. In fact, I think it has become quite onerous for Chronicle and Times to keep the ‘letter factory’ productive. Why? First, the government is quite suspicious and will not trust a person ‘out of oblivion.’ The PPP/C needs authenticity from letter writers. And secondly, the ‘big-wigs’ of the PPP/C are, as expected, quite busy, and cannot keep up, more so that their efforts reach to a selected group, as the Chronicle and Times have the smallest audience and reach. I only have to look at the size of both and make the comparison with Stabroek New and Kaieteur News. I also can check with vendors and get confirmation.

Secondly, I will keep saying and can prove it too that Kaieteur News does ‘far more’ and ‘far better’ PR work for the PPP/C than the Chronicle and Times are capable of (as aforementioned, their letters writers form a small coterie and they reach a sparser audience). What I can say is that in my opinion, Stabroek News is in ‘vendetta mode’ concerning the PPP/C. Seldom have I seen a pro-PPP/C letter of recent. I remind followers of ‘things Guyana’ that it was on the platform of Kaieteur News that PPP/C capitalised on during the ‘rigging attempts’ and this should have resulted in some kind of commendation for Kaieteur News. I surmise that if the dailies influence voting, then PPP/C will be seriously challenged in the 2025 elections.

Editor, I now come to Minister Charles Ramson Jnr. He seems to be the consummate ‘mis-fit’ in the PPP/C hierarchy. It is like in his best of efforts to gain ‘cross-overs’ for his party, actually end up with his ‘too many’ faux pas.

For example, back in February, in “Enough is Enough,” a Neil Bacchus expressed the angst of many Guyanese when he ‘waxed’ angry that the “… purported One-Guyana Government did not invite the Opposition members and the Leader of the Opposition to the all-important Flag Raising ceremony.” Neil had the right to be upset as ‘a public apology’ cannot suffice. He reasoned that ‘some Officer or office was responsible’ and hence some kind of disciplinary measure.

Another case in point is found in the letter, “Oil and Gas, Sports, and Minister Ramson” (Jun 11, 2024), in which Prescott Mann, “At a personal level (stated that) if my analysis is near the truth, it is that Charles Ramson Jnr, has been relegated to his present portfolio as he was overly ambitious and ‘too bright’ for his own good, and for sure too bright for Bharrat Jagdeo, who saw him as the enfant terrible. Let us remember back in June 2018 that this man, Ramson, stated that Guyana needs high-quality leadership and for him this redounded to “… leadership that exudes integrity, passion and vision. This would also mean leadership that is technically sound across many key disciplines like oil, economics, business and law… and, leadership which understands the meaning of family and having families of their own.”

Well, the ‘reduced’ Ramson, in Sports, cannot be a happy man. His state of emotional dissatisfaction will of course eventuate into natural lapses. His training, expectation, expertise (in Law and Gas) and education will only serve with maximum efficacy in portfolios relevant to his background. I can understand Anil Nandlall being the ‘best-suited’ for things legal, but how about Prescott Mann’s excerpt: “Imagine Guyana’s Oil and Gas Sector is being embarrassed, and this man (Ramson) is not there to say a word. … Minister Vickram Bharrat is the consummate mediocre (in Oil and Gas) … he manifests an annoying shallowness as the Minister of Natural Resources, where he is protectively bushelled under

Bharrat Jagdeo’s prevarications and dissimulations (as Jagdeo himself bluffs and blunders).

How about another “gauche moment” involving Minister Ramson? Well, I ask readers to ponder upon why the “OPPOSITION (was calling) FOR THE REMOVAL OF our ‘CULTURE’, YOUTH & SPORT MINISTER, CHARLES RAMSON JR,” over his handling of a racial attack on national artist, Ian Ivor Thom. This matter, even though deemed ‘closed’, has left a sordid dint on him and the PPP/C by extension. If PPP/C are to remain in power, then their hope resides not in the influence of the local dailies, nor in the incompetence of some ministers.

Yours truly,
Gaylord Riley

(PPP/C: Media and Misfits)

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• A quick glance, Chronicle, People’s Progressive Party Civic, Stabroek and Kaieteur News, times

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