Oversight?

I can imagine the non-publication of my recent letter to Stabroek News being an oversight. However, in respect of criticisms by Mr Barrington Braithwaite, the least they could do is afford their readers the opportunity judge for themselves what Mr Braithwaite (SN, Apr 6) has taken the time to criticize. Such dialogue is good, and enhances national welfare.

… I am pleased to announce the formation of the Democratic National Congress (DNC) which will contest the 2020 national elections… Yours faithfully, Craig Sylvester

Editor’s note The failure to publish Mr Craig Sylvester’s last letter was not an oversight; he had in any case sent it at an earlier stage, when it was also not published. It comprised the principles and draft constitution for his new political party the DNC, and considered it was an abuse of the letters column to launch a new party there and use the space for the purposes of publicising his manifesto.

As for Mr Braithwaite’s letter, he did not deal with the specifics of Mr Sylvester’s last letter. In any case, a number of letters by the latter writer have appeared in our newspaper in the recent past, the majority of which encompass political issues. Mr Braithwaite’s criticisms were of a general nature, and while he did make passing reference to the DNC, he did not deal with the details. His criticisms also covered two other writers, among whom Mr Sylvester was included, and one of whose letters did appear in this newspaper. It would not have been easy to extract this single correspondent from the group.