Dear Editor,
The editorial of Thursday, August 28, 2008 in the Stabroek News was especially lengthy, taking up all but 16 column inches of a whole page.
Titled ‘EPA rumblings,’ it indeed was full of ramblings in attempting to review the negotiations between the EC and Cariforum on the proposed Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
It would appear that while the whole wide world is aware that the astute Bharrat Jagdeo was the first, at his level, to register dissatisfaction with several clauses in the proposed agreement and vehemently refused to sign on as requested by the EU, quite deliberately and seemingly provocatively, the author of the editorial decided not to acknowledge this vital fact if an honest review of the ‘EPA rumblings’ were to be conducted.
To this humble layman, it is a direct affront to the President of Guyana. It also demonstrates the obvious contempt which is often embraced by the Stabroek News in treating with the highest office holder in our country. No mention whatever was made of the significance of the action adopted by President Jagdeo.
Yours faithfully,
David DeGroot
Editor’s note
While Stabroek News did not mention President Jagdeo by name as being the first at the Caribbean government level to register dissatisfaction with clauses in the EPA, it was clear from the editorial that the Government of Guyana, which President Jagdeo heads, was the first to do so, viz:
“The Government of Guyana which, as last December came and went seemed to be in an isolated position [in rejecting the EPA], has now been joined by others, including [the] governments of St Lucia and Grenada…”
As for the “significance of the action adopted by President Jagdeo,” the editorial was not about passing judgement in favour of one side or the other, but in explaining how the debate over the signing of the EPA has evolved in the region and why the Government of Barbados has regarded it as necessary to summon a special meeting of Caricom heads to discuss the matter. Had the editorial been directed at making a case for or against, then Mr DeGroot would have been at liberty to criticize any conclusions arrived at. In the absence of any conclusions, however, it is not for him to dictate to this newspaper what line an editorial should take.
Mr. DeGroot is one true Guyanese, having served under the PNC and now the PPP governments. And his service is not so much to the people as much it is to project and protect the ruling party’s image – regardless of which party is in office.
For those of you who don’t know, Mr. DeGroot was a staunch Burnhamite when the PPP was in the political wilderness crying foul against the rigging and autocracy.
To sit and write a letter describing an editorial as taking up a whole 16 inches of column space pretty much reveals a lot about the type of work Mr. DeGroot is doing: Nothing really! There is a name for people like Mr. DeGroot, but let’s leave him to stew in his own juices!
remember andy.
Degroot is or was a personal friend.
He has fallen on hard times unfortunately but the PPP have come to his rescue
to have him critiquing the SN and writing responses in the Guyana Chronicle.
The man has to earn his keep and I respect the fact that he has a job to do.
He has always been a dedicated person to his cause and if you read any
of his writings in the Chronicle you would see what I mean;
A man has to make a living and so too my friend Degroot.
We the wiser ones shold leave him alone and so to SN.
…… he’s a turn coat like many i kno’,,, — an they kno who they r too — who,, if abama din have to feed his ego ,, would have clearly,, hands down voted for Hillary,, but like u seh ,, leh we leff den fuh simmer in dem own juice ,, when bush ,, used powell and rice fuh get de black vote ,, dem do de same ting ,, caz rice and powell bin in bush carnah ,, now yuh can stick a fark in dem caz dem well dun now ,, a new crap come roun now ,, an juss caz dem can vote,, Barack ,, now come fuh make history ,, ok ! we all fuh history ,, an we all fuh a blackman
fuh deh top ‘o de hill,, but aftah dah wah ??????????????????????
JUST BE PATIENT AND WATCH!!!!!!!
BARACK aint black and he aint white if he were a zebra not zeebra we wont refer to him as a black or white donkey , we woulda seh he is a sports model donkey . TIGER WILLIAMS father was black his mom a fillipino and if i read it right he once said he is not black . MR. OBAMA is fresh air compared to the stench of the BUSHMAN and i would vote for BARACK OBAMA if i could ! nothing to do with black or white or between