Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Aug 13, 2020 Letters
DEAR EDITOR,
The independent media played a crucial role in exposing electoral fraud from March 3 onwards. The coalition regime sought to gain legitimacy through electoral fraud. Various strategies of electoral fraud were attempted and exposed by the media and courageous commentators like Mr. Freddie Kissoon, Vishnu Bisram, among others. Without the media, the election would have been declared in favour of the losing coalition. Democracy would have been hijacked. Those who exposed the fraud are heroes.
The PPP administration should be grateful that the media saved democracy. Although the PPP was anti-media, anti-KN, when in government, it had the media on its side when in opposition. It is public knowledge that KN did a lot for Ramotar who in the end sued KN for damages for reporting facts. KN played a lead role in exposing fraud. The PPP should never ever think of abusing the media again as it did during the Jagdeo and Ramotar presidencies.
Independent media entities were unrelenting in their pressure on the Granger government to accept the outcome of the elections. It was the media that should be credited the most for Irfaan Ali becoming President. He should thank KN, Glenn Lall, and other media houses, and the several letters who bombarded the coalition with critiques.
No media house was or has been as courageous as KN in calling out the Granger regime for its duplicity on democracy and accountability. KN has been the conscience of the nation deserving the highest awards for journalism. It has been very consistent in exposing wrongdoings. I also note now that KN has been exposing ‘fraud’ in the oil contract on a daily outpouring going back for last three years. I appeal to it to continue that pressure till Exxon gives us a fair deal.
I thank all the writers who penned letters or commentaries on the electoral fraud. But two journalists or writers deserve special acknowledgement and recognition for their almost daily outpour since March 3, and even before that, on the elections. Freddie Kissoon and Vishnu Bisram stood out for their commentaries and appeals on the APNU and AFC to concede defeat. I have been reading their contributions for over 30 years. They exposed the hypocrisy of the leadership of both parties. For the last eight months, they exposed the incumbent manipulation of the commission and the election results. They shamed the coalition into accepting defeat and honouring the verdict of the courts.
It has been a religious ritual of mine going back years to begin the day with reading KN online. First I read Freddie’s column and then I turn to letter section looking for any letter from Vishnu Bisram. I also like GHK Lall’s letters although he has a strange style of writing hard to follow. Then I browsed the web of other newspapers looking for letters from Vishnu Bisram and other outstanding commentators.
Freddie and Bisram are my most favourite writers. They make my day. They are very objective firing shots at both sides for their indiscretions. I wish to applaud their work and call on the government to confer the highest award (Order of Excellence) of the nation on them and on Mr. Glenn Lall for saving democracy. Freddie was very sarcastic in some columns while Bisram was more serious laying out facts. Like the independent press, the two writers were saviours of democracy. It was their work that contributed in no small measure in pressuring Granger and the coalition to accept the electoral verdict and court rulings. They shamed the government into accepting the results of the election.
I conclude by expressing appreciation to all who penned views in the media on electoral fraud and the oil deal that cheats Guyanese of their patrimony. I also wish to express my utter disgust with the country’s electoral management. Electoral reform is urgently needed. A commission is needed that is not politically manipulated and complicit in electoral fraud as happened over the last three years.
Yours truly
Sharmila Ally
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