How must the nation  comprehend  the blow to the Government Information Agency (GINA), by which  it is  kept abreast of the country’s development, in light of the parliamentary opposition’s  decision to reduce its budget  to a mere dollar? During the verbal  threats, especially from the vengeful persona of the Alliance For Change’s leader Khemraj Ramjattan, one gathered that  once  satisfactory answers were  provided to  the opposition’s queries in the House, such  threats would not be realised.

But behold, such was only the beginning of another act of opposition perfidy, for the reduction of the Agency’s budget was carried out in a manner that could only be described as pre-determined, and without the  essentialities  of due process.

For all the big trumpet and fanfare from Ramjattan on the virtues of democracy, he along with his opposition colleagues, trampled such beneath their jackboots, yesterday!

This entire parliamentary opposition behaviour is reminiscent of a  court that has been wholly  biased. But even  such a court would be judged to be fairer than the opposition, since they would afford a hearing. GINA was not! 
The Observer has already in prior columns, explained the working functions of GINA, as they relate to disseminating information about government’s development programmes, to the nation. Every political administration has the right to such a media for publicising its activities. So it is no different  with  regard to   GINA’s function  – to inform the nation about the government’s policies.
What has again taken place, is another assault on press freedom, and akin to reverse discrimination whereby only the political opposition must be heard. It is the same strategy that had been employed by APNU’s main component, the PNC, when in government. Then, it denied both the PPP opposition newspaper, the Mirror, and the Catholic Standard, newsprint.

Therefore, this vicious  assault on the right to expression, is  once again being repeated. This is  one of the realities of what the nation has just experienced, and must be condemned unequivocally by all freedom- loving Guyanese who uphold the sacred tenets of democracy, inclusive of the right to know what the government is doing for their country.
Further, has the parliamentary opposition taken into consideration what such an unjust action will mean for the livelihoods of GINA’s hardworking staff, most of whom are young people with dependent families?
No opposition of this irrational mindset, and cold hearted, can ever be seriously considered as responsible, much less taken seriously as an alternative government, against such a background of  “willy nilly” behaviour. Surely, they have shown a total disregard for the Speaker’s admonition!  
All Guyanese have a sacred duty to defend their motherland against what is undoubtedly a continued assault on an important platform of democracy – the right to be heard.
 It is not GINA’s freedom to speak that is threatened, but the entire nation’s, as well.