Dear President Jagdeo,
I find it ironic and disturbing that an international media campaign has started to damage your good name. Imagine people labelling yourself and your People’s Progressive Party/Civic government Burnhamite! Even Hamilton Green has joined the fray, accusing the state media of lack of credibility under your watch! How could this be?
As a migrated Guyanese, I am more and more losing my zeal and enthusiasm for Guyana. I am giving up, channelling my dreams elsewhere. I have lost the passion to help make Guyana a great nation in my generation.
But this sad evolution of this image of your Presidency has tugged at my heart for many days, and I finally sit down to write you this exhortation. Also, the conflict over the government pulling state advertisements from the Stabroek News and instead rewarding the other private newspaper with them comes close to home for me.
I want to publicly express my support to David de Caires and the Stabroek News. I know de Caires personally, and he is an outstanding son of Guyana.
This man has put his heart and soul into the nation. For men like him, it must hurt deeply to see the state of the country today. In his twilight years, for him to end up in this stupid battle instead of being able to celebrate Guyana’s rise among the nations of the world, must hurt him deeply.
Mr President, a vital ingredient of good national leadership is the ability to foster harmony, goodwill and peace among good men. de Caires, I am sure you would agree, is a good man.
Why vicitimize the Stabroek News? I appeal to you, without judgement or condemnation, to sit down with de Caires and a few of the directors of the newspaper, and dialogue with them. Stop this public nonsense that is dragging you and our country into a shameful international disgrace. I believe you are a better man than this, a leader of greater character.
Please indulge me as I want to express my thoughts on the three institutions caught up in this unnecessary fray.
First, the Kaieteur News
The vision for a third private newspaper was mine. With help from the Institute of Private Enterprise Development, I launched out to open a third national private newspaper, the Kaieteur, because I saw the need in the early 1990s for such a voice. I never expected to create a newspaper that would compete in a bad way with the Stabroek News, where I started my journalism career, under the caring leadership of de Caires. Although I no longer have anything to do with the Kaieteur News, I admire Glen Lall for making it such a financial success, though I cringe at its journalistic integrity.
My goal for a third private newspaper was to complement the media landscape in Guyana as open democracy took root in the society. T
oday, I feel very sad that Stabroek News, and particularly David de Caires, has to suffer through this shameful national disgrace. This should not be.
The private media, especially the Stabroek News, have a vital role in the social engineering of a good, harmonious society. Stabroek News has functioned always as a responsible, professional, credible and intellectually stimulating newspaper. Many times, it has defined the national conversation.
Despite its shortcomings, it has proven to be the one lone solid organ that really cares about Guyana’s democratic tradition.
The Government
Mr President, you are leader of the nation. You set the tone of the national mood. You direct your government by your example to foster a social space, a national environment, of harmony, peace and goodwill. It is by your leadership that you can use the excellence of character, experience and genius of such Guyanese stalwarts as David de Caires in the interest of the national good. Acrimony, strife and unnecessary dispute cannot make a great leader, President Jagdeo.
Guyana’s destiny, its fate, has been vested in your hands. How are you guiding the reins of leadership? Do you not care that a great institution like the Stabroek News and a great Guyanese like de Caires, are going through such trauma and pain? Do you weep for our nation?
You define the government. I am banking on your good character to steer Guyana out of this petty, dark and ugly pit. Let us arise to show the Caribbean and the world that we are a great, noble people. You, more than anyone else, can do that. You have the mandate, the office, the clout and, I am sure, the sensibility as a caring human being.
The Stabroek News
The history of Guyana’s turnaround from the dark days of dictatorship under such men as Forbes Burnham and Hamilton Green, to these bright days of democracy and openness will include prominently the Stabroek News and David de Caires. I realize the sad state of journalism in Guyana today. de Caires himself realizes this. Our journalists and editors are no longer deep thinkers.
As a nation, we suffer because of gross mediocrity in the media. The Stabroek News has itself suffered tremendous damage due to the national brain drain. But, the Stabroek News continues to contribute significantly to Guyana’s humane face. And it does bring a higher level of thinking to national debates. I am absolutely sure, Mr President, that you would agree that the Stabroek News is a good thing for Guyana today. It has been a good thing for the past 20 years.
Without the Stabroek News, Guyana’s return to democracy would have been severely problematic. The courage of men like de Caires should not be so lightly thrown away, Mr President.
The Bible exhorts a nation not to forget its past. I now urge you, Mr President, to not forget the enormous value Stabroek News brought to Guyana as a nation. Do not forget. Reach out your government’s hand to that newspaper, and to men like de Caires, and embrace them as national treasures. Help them continue to contribute to the national development effort.
Whatever ideological or political differences of opinion that may exist, please rise above those divisions and let the world know that in Guyana we have men of strength of character, starting with our President.
Yours faithfully,
Shaun Michael Samaroo
