The President has a right to visit anywhere in Guyana

Dear Editor,
Exactly one month after the mark of the 170th anniversary of the purchase of Buxton, formerly named Plantation New Orange Nassau, I was disheartened to read and listen to some of the sentiments expatiated by some political leaders exercising their constitutionally protected and recognised freedom of expression.
The genesis of their gripe was His Excellency President Jagdeo’s visit to Buxton on the 18th July 2010.
The President and the PPP/C Government are often falsely accused of not reaching out to the Afro-Guyanese dominated communities and depriving them of a share of the national resources. Moreover, readers must be reminded or informed that a protester outside a reception held by President Jagdeo on the 5th August 2010 at State House in honour of Buxtonians possessed a placard with the words “Jagdeo never visit Buxton as President why dine with him?”. Readers must also be reminded or informed that on the 11th March, 2010, the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) called on the public to support a plea from Buxton for help for their farmers and children.
The President then visits Buxton and the political leaders of a very small minority calls for the rejection of the President’s visit and labels the President’s visit a “political charade”. A case of “catch 22” or “damned if you do, damned if you don’t”
This visit was no political charade. At the visit, the President stated, inter alia, the following:
1. “The state was prepared to help young people who wanted to start farming with land clearing and assistance to get the first crop in the ground.” Additionally, he noted that the “government had a pig breeding programme with imported stock from the US and Suriname which could improve the returns on pig rearing”.
2. The WoW (Women of Worth) facility was launched earlier this year with GBTI where individuals can get a loan of up to $250,000 without collateral at six percent interest rate and the Government will work with those people who have the loans to give them technical assistance to start businesses.”
3. An intention to source 20 computers for the community and “urged the villagers to establish a mechanism to ensure that everyone benefits from the systems.”
4. “We’re going to give the NGOs here some money to start a hot meal programme for some of the most vulnerable kids in school too”
5. “I don’t want to go back and analyse the past and what happened, that is part of our history now. How do we now move forward in regenerating wealth in this community, economic activity so that the people here can find meaningful employment and solve some of their problems? This is what we have to focus on”
Incidentally, I was happy to see that better judgment prevailed and the call by David Hinds and others for the Buxtonians to refuse an invitation by the President to the aforementioned reception at State House fell on deaf ears.
This coupled with the welcome that the President received evinces unequivocally that the vast majority of Buxtonians and Buxtonian organisers are willing to work together in the interest of the common national development objective.
The leadership that David Hinds (or anyone who objected to the President’s visit to Buxton) offers is regressive. These are the “old guards” that are not interested in reconciliation and progress.
The President was elected President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. This means that the President is President for the entire country.
The constitution does not say that the President is elected President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana excluding Buxton.
The President, therefore, has a right to visit with any village once it is located within its legal territory.
My very close friend with the initials R.A. reminded me of this old Chinese aphorism that my parents taught me, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now”.
Charles S. Ramson Esq.
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This certainly was no ‘gaffe’

Dear Editor,
I had to research several definitions for the word ‘gaffe’ as it had been used recently by the government to describe the incident with NCN broadcasting on Channel 21 here in Berbice.
I came up with several meanings, most of which are indeed hilarious to say the least. A blunder; clumsy or social error; socially awkward or tactless act; even when a politician accidentally tells the truth, are a few that popped up.
Unlike the government, I do not see the matter of NCN broadcasting on a new frequency without the knowledge of the Minister of Information as a ‘gaffe’. And I totally dislike the idea that not one Tom, Dick or Harry would be sanctioned for this senseless and clandestine act.
A gaffe it’s called right? Certainly, it wasn’t a gaffe when a number of persons from the government and NFMU turned up at Tony Vieira’s broadcasting centre at Versailles to seize his broadcasting equipment.
I guess that was not a gaffe; that was criminal in the eyes of the authority. Tony Vieira had begun broadcasting a radio station, with just mere music being played all day.
But he was not lucky like those from Channel 21; barging in and seizing broadcasting equipment only works for those carefully selected or targeted by those in power. That wasn’t a ‘gaffe’, that was ‘criminal’.
CN Sharma wants to extend his signals here. The man isn’t begging anyone for money to do it. I am sure he has his own financial capabilities to relay Channel 6 to Berbice, an act that would most certainly be welcomed here. But he, too, is being barred from doing so.
He, too, better not start broadcasting in Berbice without the knowledge of the NFMU or government – an army of personnel would barge in on his property and seize his equipment. There would be sanctions from Harry wrong to Harry right. That would certainly be no ‘gaffe’. As for Channel 21, it would only be a matter of time before the President “examines it” and then it will be back on the air (part of NCN’s ongoing plan).
It seems that only NCN has “ongoing plans” and only they are being allowed to carry out their ongoing plans. Other persons having “ongoing plans” and who wish to expand their services are being stifled from doing so.
Leon Jameson Suseran