Dear Editor,
On Saturday, October 8, 2011 I arrived from work and switched my television on for the first time that day. Whilst checking the various channels I observed that NCN had a programme where residents from various parts of Guyana, eg Wakenaam, Essequibo Coast, Sophia were being interviewed about work being done in their villages.
The name of the party PPP/C was used on numerous occasions as these persons were being pressured by the interviewer to heap praises on the ruling party. The top right-hand corner of the screen had GINA and the large bottom caption was ‘PPP/C Delivers on Manifesto Promises.‘
Since this was a government programme, how come the name of the PPP/C was on the screen? Is this in keeping with NCN’s offer of free and paid time for the political parties? This programme appeared around the same time that CN Sharma would normally air Voice of the People.
My take on this is that the PPP/C has realized that the small turnouts at their meetings so far call for desperate measures to be taken. They have started a relentless campaign to silence critics and renew efforts to use NCN television and radio to pour out propaganda to the people to regain lost ground. Why attack opposition forces and the private media when they are not the ones who are responsible for insecurity, unemployment, poverty, etc? They are only highlighting these problems.
The PPP/C presidential candidate should use the opportunity to take part in civilized political debates with the other two main candidates. He might place third, but at least he will have one up on his predecessor who was never involved in a presidential debate.
Yours faithfully,
RM Khan
