by John Peters
Stabroek News’ Sunday editorial, which marks the fourth anniversary of the PPP/C’s accession to office, contains a troubling lack of journalistic integrity. The editorial makes direct and unproven accusations against APNU regarding alleged election rigging in 2020—allegations that are currently under judicial review. This editorial not only disregards the principle of due process but also perpetuates a biased narrative without awaiting the court’s adjudication.
Conversely, there are numerous allegations and documented instances of election rigging by the PPP that merit scrutiny. The reluctance of Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo to implement biometric verification and clean the list of registrants raises serious concerns. Such actions should prompt questions even in the most unsuspecting minds, yet they continue to elude publications like Stabroek News.
One must question whether latent racism underpins the persistent and unproven ‘rigging’ narrative against the APNU and the blatant disregard for the parallel cases of election fraud perpetrated by the PPP in the 2020 elections. If Stabroek News insists on ignoring the legal process and prematurely labeling the APNU actions as ‘rigging’, an epitaph more closely aligned with the propaganda out of Freedom House or Kwame’s Live in Guyana outfit, then it should also identify and label the money launderers, rapists, and thieves within the PPP government, before any trial confirms them as such. The editorial’s selective outrage and biased reporting do a disservice to the public and undermine the credibility of the fourth estate.
Entities like Stabroek News seem unwilling to accept African leadership in Guyana, preferring instead to encourage the East Indian leadership in the PPP to be a bit more subtle in their approach to corruption. This preference is a disheartening indictment of the media’s role in perpetuating ethnic biases and failing to uphold journalistic standards. In a country where the media should act as a watchdog, holding all sides accountable, it is alarming to see such blatant partisanship.
