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For years the NDC
constantly voiced the need for
Parliament to be broadcast live, even
when radio stations were not willing to
do so. In 2003, the NNP government
decided to broadcast every Parliament
sitting live as a means of keeping the
people abreast with what is happening.
However, within months of getting into
office the NDC government decided to
stop the live broadcast of Parliament.
They claimed that it was too costly for
the government to continue to bring
Parliament live. We are convinced that
the issue is not cost but a deliberate
attempt to try to silence the voices of
Grenadians. It is also an attempt to
prevent them from getting the facts of
NDC’s mismanagement of the country,
another example of the NDC’s deceit.
When in Opposition the NDC said one
thing; now they are in Government they
do the opposite.
We can also recall when
the NDC was in Opposition they were
condemning the NNP for setting up GIS TV
(channel 12), claiming that there was no
need for this channel. We would expect
that when the NDC came into power, GIS
would have been shut down or its
broadcast time reduced. However we have
seen the opposite. Channel 12 now
broadcasts many more programmes and the
staff has also been increased. These
programmes broadcasted on channel 12 are
costing the country thousands of
dollars. Many of these programmes now
compete with those broadcasted on other
channels like GBN. Channel 12 has
advanced so much that it even has its
own news hour. If the issue of broadcast
time for Parliament was cost, then the
additional money used in the broadcast
of Channel 12 could have easily been
used to bring Parliament live.
The GIS staff attends and
records the Parliamentary Sittings. The
technology for broadcasting live is
available within GIS and they are
already on air thus there can be no
significant additional cost for the
Government to broadcast Parliament live.
The question of cost is
mere tomfoolery. This is clear evidence
that the NDC believes that Grenadians
are foolish.
Today, we see various
attempts by the Government to silence
the voice of Grenadians coming through
our radio programmes. On a daily basis
persons will call the programmes to air
their views and concerns and to talk
about how they are hurting. These
people are told to stop disrespecting
the office of the Prime Minister.
Various persons have also testified to
receiving threats from well known NDC
hawks and supporters. Threats made
followed the lines of “I know where you
live, I know your children” and such
things. Radio personalities are being
threatened as the NDC goes to any length
to try to silence the voice of the
people. They even go as far as getting
family members to turn against each
other. All this is done because the NDC
does not want Grenadians to speak out.
This administration wants Grenadians to
take their death like sheep.
When the NDC was in
Opposition they used the radio stations
to their advantage. They did not
hesitate to spread lies and propaganda
against Dr. Keith Mitchell and other
NNPites. It was no problem for them to
try their utmost to criticize and
condemn the government then. Today we
see that they are not able to accept
freedom of speech or the truth or
criticism.
Furthermore, there are
projects being launched and undertaken
by this Government that was initiated by
the NNP administration. The Government
takes the credit for these projects
themselves and do not even extend an
invitation to the Opposition to these
events, for fear that the Opposition
will receive the credit that it
deserves. NDC’s priority is to clearly,
stifle the voice of the people and
destroy the opposition. It seems that we
are quickly advancing into the days of
the Revolution when only one voice
should be and could be heard.
We take the opportunity
here to let the NDC administration know
that Grenadians will never be silenced
again. As long as the Government
continues to victimize and hurt the
people of Grenada, we will speak. As
long as they continue to be inefficient
in Government, non transparent and
unaccountable, we will join our fellow
Grenadians and we will say so. Our
voices will be heard.
NNP
Perspective week ending April 4th,
2009
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