Government's Alarming Disregard for Information Rights

Government’s Alarming Disregard for Information Rights

May 08, 2025 Letters

Dear Editor,

I write to share the latest information on Guyana’s dismal state of transparency and right to information. On April 14, 2025, on behalf of a group of civil society organisations and individuals, I wrote the President, who holds the Portfolio for Information, requesting a meeting regarding the Office of the Commissioner of Information’s failures: no mandatory annual reports tabled, unanswered public information requests, and erosion of citizens’ constitutional right to information. A briefing note accompanied the letter.

There was no response to the letter, and therefore no meeting. To deny citizens the courtesy of a response is bad enough. To effectively refuse to discuss an issue of which you hold portfolio responsibility, and which is the oxygen of democracy and the essence of good governance, does a disservice to the President’s Office. On 23^rd April 2025, I sent a pre-action letter to Mr. Charles Ramson Snr., Commissioner of Information and the Minister of Natural Resources, reminding them of long-outstanding requests for information and indicating my intention to approach the Courts if they still refused my request.

I received a response from Mr. Ramson that was dismissive, characterising my concerns as “transparently relentless, brazen alignment with the agenda-driven, political media malcontents.” He mocked citizens’ rights as a “self-induced myth of a constitutional right to information” and my concerns as “manicured spasms of delusional concern, opportunistic at best, but deceptively disruptive at worst.”

Rather than address his statutory failures, Ramson threatens that his office “will strenuously defend on its behalf, any mischievously contrived litigation, however authored” – an apparent attempt to intimidate citizens exercising their legal rights. The irony is stark. This Office was established to facilitate the enjoyment of several constitutional rights, guaranteeing inclusive democracy and the right to information. Instead, it consumes tens of millions in public funds while producing nothing of value. It is highly disappointing that the President condones this flagrant mockery of transparency by his silence.

Having exhausted all reasonable avenues, I will shortly initiate legal proceedings to obtain the information I sought. The rule of law must be upheld, particularly by those sworn to administer it. Our group will soon resume its public campaign to obtain our rights.

I call on my fellow Guyanese to follow the example of a Trinidadian who, a couple of years ago, was confronted with a denial of access to information and who successfully pursued his case all the way to the Privy Council. I wonder whether the Law Lords silently asked themselves: what a backwards culture that requires its citizens to resort to such extreme action.

I am providing copies of all three letters referenced in this correspondence for transparency and public interest. They allow the public to judge the inadequacies of the official attitude and responses.

Sincerely,

Christopher Ram

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