The Jamaica Gleaner has again strongly criticized President Bharrat Jagdeo over the cut-off of ads to Stabroek News (SN) charging that like the Burnham government the President was trying to achieve his ends by economic strangulation even while "spuriously arguing that it is for economic reasons"..
The Jamaican newspaper had previously condemned the government over the withdrawal of ads from SN and its renewed attack follows the failure of a regional initiative to mediate an end to the impasse.
In its editorial in Sunday's edition, the Gleaner pointed to two ironies. "The People's Progressive Party (PPP) …was a primary complainant against Mr (Forbes) Burnham's administration, whose route to curtailment of free expression, and hence of the weakening of democracy, was by undermining the press. Of course, Mr Burnham didn't decree the closure of newspapers, but sought to achieve his ends by the economic strangulation of those who were free and independent. He made the sourcing of newsprint by the independent press almost impossible."
Another irony it said was that "Stabroek News, by its campaign for the freedom of expression guaranteed in the Guyana constitution, played a not insignificant role in the eventual return to democracy in Guyana, of which the PPP has been a major beneficiary".
The Gleaner argued that politicians with "instincts to absolutisms" don't care much for these freedoms and don't much like plucky newspapers which champion rights and freedoms which are rights shared with individuals.
"The truth is that Mr Jagdeo and his government don't like Stabroek's journalism. Like good newspapers, it holds up a mirror to Guyana for the country to see itself and what is reflected sometimes demands trenchant criticism of the government. But that is part of the compact between newspapers and the societies they serve."
The Gleaner contended that what President Jagdeo has failed to understand is that it is not his party's money that is being disbursed when state agencies advertise but the people's. "He has no moral or legal authority to use taxpayers' money to pursue private or political vendettas."
The editorial added that President Jagdeo is old enough to be cognizant of the "atrophying impact on society when free expression is constrained and democracy is undermined, as happened in Guyana during the regime of the late Forbes Burnham, who he is fast growing to resemble".
The Gleaner posited that President Jagdeo should have learnt that by now democracy is difficult business. "What makes this form of government so hard to mange and so chafing of those it invites to exercise authority is democracy's insistence on the abhorrence of extremes and absolutes. So, it hands power to the majority, but demands that this must be balanced against respect for, and protection of, the rights of the minority."
Ministry ads to Stabroek News via the Government Information Agency (GINA) were cut-off in November last year. While GINA had said in a statement in January that the cut-off was a commercial decision based on circulation and the public's "response", it has provided no empirical information to substantiate this. Stabroek News on the other hand has suggested that the paid circulation of the newspapers be audited by a credible firm and this be used as the basis for the distribution of state ads.