PRESS Freedom and its inherent right of Freedom of Expression is the raison d’etre of every democratic society. Its absence, often as a result of deliberate State suppression, constitutes a striking blow against the very existence of the State, since it means a denial of the right of the people to be informed by media. In Guyana, this experience is well documented, for it was once perpetrated by the People’s National Congress (PNC) dictatorial regime, whose intention was to mute any voice sounded against its tyranny.
Of course, that government’s point of view had been widely disseminated through its State-owned media. It was an entitled right, which did not readily apply to citizens, for reasons that are now part of our political history.
OBSERVER has noted the recent statement from a senior Parliamentary Opposition Member of Parliament, who has advocated the boycotting of the Guyana Chronicle, the National Communication Network (NCN), and the private-owned Guyana Times.
The fact that it comes from no less a person than Dr Rupert Roopnarine is even more surprising because, even though he is now in political concubinage with such an unlikely bedfellow as the PNC cum APNU, he originates from a Party, the Working Peoples Alliance (WPA), that had upheld such a right. It was thought that he would have possessed the moral backbone not to embrace such anti-liberty.
In fact, what a contradiction this is, because what he has advocated is in fact an attack on Press Freedom. As a reminder, freedom of every sort had been denied Roopnarine’s Party, with death being the penalty for those who defied such an anti-democratic edict. Imagine Roopnarine, of all the new political opposition members, now advocating an anti- media position!
Bad association breeds bad habits! This is precisely what this column opines, but though perhaps, this may seem to make light of a very serious situation, it is not! For, it is obvious that Roopnarine has embraced the well known line of opposition intolerance that is synonymous of particularly the PNC.
The 2012, 2013, and 2014 Budget cuts are fully representative of this anti–media position of the Combined Opposition Parties. OBSERVER has always wondered at Roopnarine’s support of such a parliamentary evil! Such a call is aimed not only at depriving the citizens of this country the right to be heard, but also threatens the financial viability of both State entities, the Guyana Times, too, and the job security of their employees.
But this is vintage Opposition, of which Roopnarine is one of its frontline speakers.