Stabroek News
July 17, 2001

The dialogue between President Bharrat Jagdeo and PNC REFORM leader, Desmond Hoyte, has been suspended until the amended broadcast regulations have been studied by the joint broadcast committee and a report submitted next Monday.

This is according to a press release from Congress Place, issued yesterday evening.

The two leaders met yesterday and the Wireless and Telegraphy (Amendments) Regulations 2001 promulgated last week by Prime Minister Sam Hinds was discussed.

A joint statement issued after the meeting said: "It was agreed that the Radio Monopoly and Non?Partisan Boards Committee will examine this issue and submit a report by Monday, July 23."

It said too that the committee's report "will recommend an approach to dealing with these regulations."

The Congress Place release was a departure from the norm, as following discussions between the two leaders, which started in April, only a joint statement would be issued.

The PNC/R release said that Hoyte had requested that the regulations be held in abeyance until the committee had completed its work. It said he further suggested that talks "be suspended until such time as there has been a satisfactory resolution of this problem." The two leaders agreed that the issue be referred to the committee for a report by July 23, the release said, when it is expected that the "parties would be in a position to resume the dialogue".

Last week following the promulgation of the report by the Prime Minister, Hoyte wrote to President Jagdeo asking that the regulations be held in abeyance until the committee had submitted its report which would have included recommendations on broadcast legislation. The committee should have submitted its report at the end of June, but the deadline was extended to the end of July.

Hoyte also told a press conference that the Prime Minister's action constituted a breach of faith, was inconsistent with their decision to set up the committee whose terms of reference included advising on new broadcast regulation, and that it tended to undermine the committee's work and was calculated to pre?empt its decisions.

Hoyte also urged television station owners to disregard the regulations.

Later in the week, President Jagdeo told a press conference that the regulations were a temporary arrangement and that he had so informed Hoyte, when the Prime Minister convened a meeting of the television station owners to discuss the issue.

In an exchange of letters with Hoyte, Prime Minister Hinds pointed out that regulation of television broadcasting had been one of the issues the President had promised to address in his election manifesto and the measures were intended to be temporary until comprehensive broadcast regulation was put in place. However, Hoyte insisted that the arrangement was unsatisfactory and he reiterated his request that the regulations be held in abeyance until the committee completed its work and a decision made on it by himself and the President.