Latest update May 14th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 19, 2021 News
Kaieteur News –Outgoing Commissioner of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), Deodat Persaud, is of the firm conviction that public officials should not hide from the media, but instead, facilitate their scrutiny.
He made that assertion while speaking to Kaieteur News yesterday via a telephone interview.
Persaud noted that once a person becomes a public official, they should welcome interrogation from members of the media since they serve as a layer of accountability in public administration. He stated that the dissemination of information by the media as it relates to what goes on in public office tends to hold those officials accountable.
He remarked that there are many instances where media personnel may attempt to solicit comments from public officials but they are often stymied in these efforts. As he stressed the need for these officials to face the media, Persaud was keen to note that their engagements also foster opportunities for clarification, which they may not get if public officials are silent.
He said, “When you create a volume of lack of information, it will always lead to suspicion.” He further noted that when questions go unanswered, media personnel would have to drill continually for information to provide the public with the facts.
The Commissioner also lamented that as it relates to governance, it is not only carried out in the Executive arm. He stated with governance, even the “common man” plays a vital role and that is why they continuously need to be informed. To that end, he highlighted that the media should be allowed to provide citizens with access to information so they can play their part in carrying out that function.
Notably, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) had urged the government to have more frequent engagements with the media, as it called for the return of post-Cabinet briefings. The GPA’s President, Nazima Raghubir had said that such meetings provide the country with necessary updates on internal affairs. “The press briefings by yourself and key government ministers are just not about engaging the media,” she had outlined, adding that, “It is about informing the public about critical issues.”
In acknowledgement of the GPA’s call, His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali had explained that the government has been very busy and that the Cabinet has been meeting multiple times per week. However, Dr. Ali did commit to resuming the briefings and to having more engagements with the local Press. Since this commitment, there has been no Press briefing.
Persaud, who is also a Pandit, was sworn in as an ERC Commissioner in 2018 by former President, David Granger and is a firm believer of media friendliness.
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