By Travis Chase | HGPTV Newsroom
Frustrated by what they describe as a culture of secrecy and non-transparency, citizens staged a picket outside the office and home of Commissioner of Information, retired Court of Appeal Judge and former Attorney General, Charles Ramson Snr., on East Street, Georgetown.
Holding placards that read, “Open the files, not just the curtains” and “Secrecy breeds corruption”, protestors accused Ramson of deliberately hindering the flow of public information and undermining transparency in governance.
Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram emphasized the importance of transparency and citizens’ rights to information, stating clearly:
“Access to information is a fundamental right—not a privilege to be granted or withheld at will.”
Editor-in-Chief of Stabroek News, Anand Persaud, highlighted persistent challenges faced by the media, specifically referencing difficulties experienced by Stabroek News when seeking information from Justice Ramson:
“Whenever we attempt to get information through the commissioner, we are consistently stonewalled and ignored, which severely affects transparency.”
The Access to Information Act, enacted in 2011, mandates that annual reports must be presented to the National Assembly no later than nine months following the end of each year. However, according to protestors, these reports are rarely made available, further exacerbating concerns around accountability.
Joining the protest was President of the Transparency Institute of Guyana, Frederick Collins, who expressed deep concern about the growing secrecy in public institutions, adding:
“Information is the oxygen of democracy. Without transparency, we cannot hold our government accountable.”
Columnist GHK Lall also participated, voicing skepticism about the government’s claims of openness:
“All the talk of transparency is meaningless unless citizens have real and timely access to vital public information.”
Throughout the protest, Justice Ramson remained indoors, declining to speak with the media or protestors.
