PNCR needed to do research before proposing Motion for Live Parliamentary debate – Kit Nascimento
Georgetown, GINA, January 18, 2009
Public Communications Consultant, Kit Nascimento stated that he was “disappointed” in the way which the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) presented a Motion to the National Assembly calling for live Parliamentary debates to be shown on the National Communications Network (NCN).
Nascimento, while appearing on “In Depth” an NCN programme said that, “I don’t think they have researched it fully. It’s not a proposal that should ever be rushed into and the Opposition’s approach “lets do it now, lets do it tomorrow” and a month is tomorrow in terms of preparing broadcasting…. the Opposition should have consulted extensively with the industry itself and advised themselves on a number of issues.”
He explained that the introduction of this kind of live broadcasting “cost substantial sums of money that would have to be carefully budgeted and would have to find its way into the National Budget.”
While the PNCR is calling for NCN to broadcast the debates they are also asking the State to pay for it as well.
Nascimentio stated that it could not be funded by NCN because of the enormous cost and the PNC/R needs to “understand the technicalities of this” which includes cost, permanent installation of cameras, a large number of dedicated broadcast hours, switching and audio equipment and the electrical wiring of Parliament Building would have to be done.
“You can not have cables all over Parliament, cameras intruding everywhere, if you are going to do it professionally and properly then you are going to have to set it up and that in itself it an extremely expensive undertaking and would have to be budgeted,” he said.
Nascimento agreed that it is an “excellent democratic process” and its time will come but the “Opposition simply cannot rush into Parliament and suggest to Government that this should happen virtually overnight.”
Further, he noted that the Government could have responded differently and propose that the Parliamentary Management Committee examine it.
Member of Parliament, Gail Teixeira in her presentation in the National Assembly stated that this committee was supposed to be looking at the issue since they had it on their agenda but have not completed it.
This, Nascimento referred to as a “resolution” since the committee would be able to do a holistic report on financial, technical and legal implications.
Regarding the legal implications he said that, “Whatever is said in Parliament is privileged, you cannot be sued for it but if a station broadcasts it they can be sued for libel and slander and therefore you might have to put in time delay equipment to protect the station from this… Therefore I don’t think any broadcasting station would readily run into that without being assured that they are protected from the legal implications of it.”
The USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and more recently Trinidad and Tobago are the only countries in the world that do live parliamentary broadcasting and according to Nascimento this is being done by Cable Network in four of the six countries since it is too expensive.
“If you are going to introduce live broadcasting in Guyana then the industry, private and state should be consulted and they need to play their part in doing it. In fact it is the private broadcasting industry through cable conglomerates in the US and Canada that have undertaken this, at their own cost and to a very special and dedicated audience,” he said.
He further highlighted the need to present “constructive proposals to Parliament as to how this could be done.”
The Motion was put forward at the last sitting of the National Assembly and was defeated by the House as it did not gain unanimous support.
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East Coast farmers receive assistance from Government
Georgetown, GINA, January 18, 2008
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud today met with farmers in Supply, Unity and Victoria on the East Coast of Demerara where he distributed agricultural supplies.
Residents of these areas received plants, seeds, breeding animals, vouchers, veterinary supplies and chemicals in an effort to assist the farmers with their agricultural activities
Heavy intense rainfall which started early in December affected some regions and caused low-lying East Coast communities to be hard hit.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud meeting with residents of Supply
Minister explained that $95M is to be distributed across the country and added that the present aid cannot compensate for all the losses but it will help
The distribution was done in a systematic way so as to avoid any unfair and unscrupulous distribution. Farmers group of each area prepared a list of farmers who suffered losses and those were eligible for assistance.
Minister Persaud in discussion with residents of Unity
Agriculture Minister informed the residents of East Coast about plans for upgrading the Agricultural sector. Plans include the construction of a new central market to facilitate farmers from both the East Coast and West Demerara.
Rameshwar Wardeopersaud, a resident of Supply expressed gratitude to the Government for the systematic way in which the distribution was done since the preparation of the list allowed verification. He also said that the aid will help in the replanting of his garden.
Minister Persaud listens to concerns of a Victoria resident
Several teams were dispatched in communities along the East Coast Demerara to provide assistance to farmers who have been affected.
These teams comprising of veterinarians and officers from the Ministry’s Crops and Livestock Division, as well as the new Guyana Marketing Corporation were deployed as part of the interventions made.
This humanitarian act will continue daily with teams being deployed to all communities across Guyana who have been affected.
This follows the Minister’s recent visit to the Mahaica and Mahaicony areas where he strategised with farmers on ways to combat the situation.
Minister Persaud checks the list of farmers in Victoria
Meanwhile the Ministry’s National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) continue to monitor the situation.
President Bharat Jagdeo following a trip to Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abari Creek had announced that he would allocate $100m to assist farmers who have been affected by the rainfall.
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