GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):The Guyanese government has hit out at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) for publicly criticising its withdrawal of advertisements from the independent newspaper, Stabroek News, saying that the organisation did not have consultations with officials here before issuing the comments.
Foreign Affairs Minister Rudy Insanally said the administration felt the IACHR was disinterested in its reasons for withdrawing the advertisements in November last year in preference of Kaieteur News. The commission indicated in a press release tha it had written the government for information within 15 days about the allocation of ads, there was no response.
"The government has not had a chance to examine the request or the matter to be able to reply responsibly to it. We are very disappointed with the actions taken by the entity," Ins anally said.
"I think the normal international courtesy is that the government is first informed before it is put to the general public. We will consult in the nature of that reply. We are prepared to examine them (the concerns raised) and to respond to them as is necessary. I am just regretting the lack of prior communication to the government," he added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a release issued Thursday night that the IACHR letter requesting information was only received on July 23.
"It is normal diplomatic courtesy for member states of international organisations to be apprised in good time of any concerns which the latter may have. Since the govern-ment was asked by the special rapporteur to provide the information requested within 15 days, that is by June 28, 2007, it was hardly possible to provide a timely and adequate response given the fact that the communication from the Office of the Special Rapporteur was received only on July 23, 2007." the release said.
Insanally said the Guyana government had intended to respond to the statement "in due time".
Officials have maintained that the ads were pulled from the Stabroek News because Kaieteur News had greater circulation.
