Oct 31 - Chief Minister Interferes with the Press - Claims GSD
The GSD is stunned by the attitude of the Chief Minister towards the freedom of press and the rights of people to hold a debate democratically.
The GSD had been invited to send a representative to tonight’s Viewpoint programme and had elected to send Marlene Nahon, an executive member of the party and as many will know, our candidate at the 2012 by election.
The topic was to be the reduction of the voting age. We were then led to believe by GBC that they had been contacted by the Chief Minister insisting that the GSD had to send a Member of Parliament and that it was unacceptable for us to do otherwise and if so, he insisted on the Government having two voices on the debate in the form of representatives of both the GSLP and the Liberal Party.
The party has today insisted that it will not be dictated to by the Chief Minister as to who will represent it in the media. They go on to note, ‘we also find it unacceptable that Mr Picardo should try and manipulate GBC through the offices of the GRA to get his way. To have two members of the Governing parties on any single debate is a clear and unashamed attempt to unbalance that discussion.’
‘Mr. Picardo has once again demonstrated that he falls far short of acting in a manner respectful of our democracy. In just three short years he has become everything he himself criticised in his predecessor, all his promises have proven to be empty.’
