THE Opposition has once again displayed its inherent dictatorial and anti-democratic tendencies, by assaulting freedom of the press and the constitutional right and freedom of the Guyanese people to receive information, by cutting, to $1 each, the budgetary allocations to the National Communications Network (NCN) and the Government Information Agency (GINA).

So said Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Anil Nandlall, during a press conference at the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Headquarters, Freedom House, in Robb Street, Georgetown, yesterday.
He said that the joint Opposition has put more than 250 workers and their families on the breadline and are saying, to the Guyanese people, that they are not entitled to information in respect to what the Government is doing for them.
Nandlall charged that the People’s National Congress (PNC) did precisely the same thing during their dictatorial reign and that, today, with the limited power they enjoy, the Opposition continues their attack on the press, while remaining critical of the Government for liberating airwaves for radio licences.
He continued:“Paradoxically and illogically, they continue to demand airtime at NCN and press coverage from GINA but they cut the budget of these agencies to $1…they have completely shut down these agencies, yet they want coverage from them. It simply does not make sense but, then again, most of what they do does not make sense.”
Nandlall, noting that consideration of the Estimates is continuing said it can only be assumed that the cutting and slashing will continue.
Living standards
Nevertheless, he assured that the PPP Administration will still work to improve the people’s living standards everywhere.
“The PPP/C will also continue to provide support in other ways, such as subsides for water and electricity rates for pensioners, school uniforms and school feeding programmes. The PPP/C will never abandon our people,” Nandlall assured.
He said, while A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) have betrayed them, the PPP/C MPs will stand with the people.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh emphasised that anybody who is committed to an open and transparent government and to an informed citizenry will support the existence of a government information agency.
“GINA, every day, tells the people of Guyana what their President is doing, what their ministers are doing, what Government policy is, what are latest developments with Government projects…You can’t have it both ways, you can’t say you want an informed citizenry, you want open and transparent government but you’re objecting to the existence of GINA and NCN,” he maintained.
Asked how the two media entities were affected last year when their provisions were reduced, Nandlall advised that the impact was not felt because the Government had approached the Court and got the ruling, which enabled the Finance Minister, via certain constitutional provisions, to restore the sums which were cut out.
However, the AG said the difference, this year, is that there is a ruling from the Speaker of the National Assembly governing the matter.
“That is the distinguishing factor between last year and this year, a ruling which has put the constitutional structure of our country in some form of disarray,” Nandlall argued.