PPP/C Urges Independent Panel To Be Objective

 

The PPP/C notes the statement by the Independent Media Refereeing Panel regarding the television advertisement – the Great Pretender.

The claim by the Panel that the advertisement is “an attempt to manipulate the facts for political mileage” is both unfounded and an attempt to dictate the political campaign of the PPP/C.

The PPP/C had expected that the Independent Media Refereeing Panel would be more objective. The Panel seems to be only vocal when there is an Opposition concern as we have seen recently, regarding coverage by NCN and its earlier outburst against the staffers of the Government Information Agency (GINA). Does the panel think that its mandate is to appease the Opposition?

The PPP/C stands by its advertisement which is factual, not provocative and merely recalls past events in our country. Why does the panel now want to hide the past from the electorate? The Panel must enquire about the `slow fire, more fire’ campaign of the PNCR leadership of which Robert Corbin and Raphael Trotman were part of. The Panel must also enquire about who were the leaders and organizers of the violent street protests, the looting, the burnings in Georgetown which were part of the PNCR’s destablisation campaign

For the information of the Panel, the Ethnic Relations Commission has commented on the advertisement and found that it is not ethnically divisive nor harms ethnic relations in our country.

Further, the Panel seems to be convenient as it did not comment on nor criticize the advertisement by the Opposition which stated that the Government was linked to drug lords.

Following this statement by the Panel, the PPP/C will be raising its concerns about the posture of the Panel with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and its attempt to influence our political campaign.

 

August 24, 2006

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