The PPP has not discussed formally the issue of the withdrawal of government advertisements from the Stabroek News neither has it taken a position on the matter, the party's General Secretary Donald Ramotar has said.
Asked yesterday whether the party supported the government's position on the withdrawal of the advertisements, Ramotar said that "it was not a political decision (to cease the ads)" and the party has accepted the government's explanation.
Asked for the party's views on President Bharrat Jagdeo's comments with regard to former President, Mrs Janet Jagan's opinion that the government should reverse its decision on the issue, Ramotar said that he had "no comments."
Asked whether it was true that there was concern at the party's headquarters that the President had shown disregard for the lone surviving PPP founder/member's opinion, Ramotar insisted that he had "no comments" to make.
Asked whether the party had discussed the issue, he said "no comments."
Reliable sources at Freedom House told this newspaper that it was felt that disrespect had been shown to Mrs Jagan who is considered the matriarch of the party and whose institutional memory and wisdom were still relied on for guidance.
The source said, too, that there was concern that the President, who is particularly popular among the younger party members, was being "stubborn" on the Stabroek News ads issue and this would affect not only his standing locally and regionally but the party's position at home and abroad as well. There has been widespread condemnation both here and abroad of the government's action.
There was also concern, the source said, that President Jagdeo's reaction to Mrs Jagan's call for a reversal of the ads decision might be an indication that he would not be open to advice from less influential members.
Asked to respond on these reports, Ramotar maintained that he had "no comments."
Mrs Jagan in her column of the last edition of the Weekend Mirror had disagreed with the government's view on ceasing ads to Stabroek News on a purely commercial basis. She had said that "government advertisements should be spread through the media on a fair basis, despite circulation and content" and had suggested that the decision be reversed.
To this, Jagdeo had said that Mrs Jagan "as a private citizen is entitled to her opinion. Her opinion is not government's policy, especially when the matter relates to the use of taxpayers' funds."
Stabroek News has maintained that the cut-off of ads had nothing to do with commercial considerations but was politically motivated. (Miranda La Rose)