Cutting of ads to Stabroek News, Guyana Times a worrying sign - FITUG

The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) has expressed concern at the withdrawal of state advertisements by the Department of Public Information (DPI) from Stabroek News and the Guyana Times.

In a statement on November 5, FITUG noted that when President David Granger was asked during a November 1st Kaieteur Radio interview about the apparent decision to withhold state advertisements from Stabroek News he said that Government advertisements should be allocated on the basis of fair reporting. FITUG noted that the President underlined his point of view by adverting to Stabroek News’ lack of coverage of Queen’s College 175th Anniversary, an event where he was the main speaker.

“It appears that fairness has taken on warped context, if what the President said is to be gone by, `fairness’, it appears, must be full and unequivocal coverage of the President and possibly his men and women. Fairness, it seems, must ignore the pressing circumstances of our times. Fairness, apparently, in the President’s mind, must ignore the undemocratic culture and attitude of the Granger Administration. Undoubtedly, fairness is a convenient term”, FIFUG stated.

Noting the disclosures by both Stabroek News and the Guyana Times about state advertisements, FITUG said that “This is a worrying development and the Government, it appears, has appointed itself Judge, Jury and Executioner as it regards fair reporting”.

It said that Stabroek News and Guyana Times have taken a strong stand on the

Administration’s actions especially since it was defeated through a No Confidence Motion nearly a year ago.

“It appears that the Administration cannot withstand the criticism and is seeking to employ various mechanisms to muzzle dissenting opinions and views. Of course, as is now historically documented, one of the major parties in the Coalition has in the past practiced policies and embraced actions which sought to restrict, silence and still voices of disagreement”, FITUG said, in an apparent reference to the PNCR..

FITUG also contended that the apparent attack on the private media “cannot, in our view, be disconnected from other worrying actions in recent times. We have seen concerted actions to disobey and disrespect clear Constitutional provisions.

We have seen the departure from longstanding practices and norms which are critical to our fledgling democracy. We have also seen bouts of discrimination especially seen in the treatment of the nation’s sugar workers.

“Indeed, the President’s remarks are yet another means of confirming that the Administration has gone off the time-tested path of democracy, fairness and social justice. It well appears that we could be on a more ominous course, one which is not in the interest of our people and country. It is now time for our democratic and peace loving people to again engage in struggles to retrieve our nation and its people from the precipice. Such struggles are in the interest of all Guyanese now and in the future”.