Dear editor,
THE Honourable Mr Bulkan is a Minister of Government, but he is also a citizen of Guyana, and by being a minister does not take away his right as a citizen for freedom of expression or freedom to criticize.
The fact that he wrote a letter to the state-owned Chronicle that alone constitutes fair criticisms, shows he is not fettered as a Government official to state his views, even when these appeared to be critical of the state media.
This was not apparent during the Jagdeo era as state officials were muzzled and media operatives were deemed to be “vultures” and carrion-crows, even independent business leaders. In one case Dr Yesu Persaud was labelled by Jagdeo as an” ignoramus.”
I do not see how the letter by the minister constituted interference by merely suggesting what he thought was another way of placing news articles. The Guyana Times further turned its gun at Prime Minister Nagamootoo and repeated falsehoods, which had been publicly nailed; as such, the Prime Minister’s office has repudiated claims that he had either scolded or reprimanded a reporter during August,2015 and that his office had insisted in seeing headlines for the Guyana Chronicle.
The Prime Minister then and always ought to maintain his rights as a public official, a citizen and more particularly, as a renowned journalist to express disappointment in any newspapers coverage. For the Guyana Times to insist otherwise is an affront to free speech which is a constitutional right. As a youth leader with a keen interest in democracy, I can say that Guyana under this coalition Government is open, free and transparent.
Regards
Carlyle Goring