I look forward to KN's columnists - Philip De Freitas

Dear Editor,

I am a Guyanese resident of the UK . The newspapers in Guyana keep us in touch with what is happening back home. The difference with the Kaieteur News is its columnists. I would be at a loss to understand what is going on in Guyana without the explanations offered by your columnists.

My favourite remains Freddie Kissoon. It is a credit to his learning that he can write a column every day in your paper. Stella Ramsaroop is the new kid on the block.

She has certainly made an impression on the Guyanese readers that I know in London . I guess it is the woman's touch. The thing I like about Stella is her readiness to argue with Freddie. She is not afraid of him. Most of the politicians and other leaders tend to back off from arguing with Freddie because he is so good in his rebuttals. But Stella takes him on. That is certainly good stuff from her.

The month of December was particularly good in its political coverage. The letters on Balram Singh Rai opened my eyes though I do not belong to that era and have no first hand knowledge of what went on there. The topics that I found most absorbing were connected to Freddie's debates with Peter Ramsaroop, Moses Nagamootoo and the UG Vice Chancellor saga.

The UG story is old news. I read a few of Freddie's pieces on it. Knowing how politics is played in Guyana , I wasn't surprised at what the government did.

But Guyana has to start putting the right people in the right jobs. I was a bit taken back that for all the controversies that your paper carried on the UG matter, the Government didn't see it fit to at least explain why it offered the job to Dr. James Rose.

I am not particularly supportive of the PPP nor am I particularly critical of what the Government does. But my one accusation against the Government is that it owes the people who elected it an explanation.

A friend of mine told me that when the Minister of Foreign Trade had his American visa cancelled, Dr. Roger Luncheon said that the minister can conduct his business through the internet. I thought he was joking but he said that it was a true statement. I believed him because he is a good friend.

This would never happen in London . Prime Minister Blair would not offer such a rude defence if one of his ministers was in similar trouble. The Government of Guyana would do its image a great good if it debates its critics.

I remember at one time in Barbados , when I lived there with my parents, Prime Minister Tom Adams never let his critics get away with any lies against his government. Presidents and Prime Ministers have to satisfy their people with explanations when matters of grave concern are in the air.

Please keep up the good work. I look forward to reading Stella Ramsaroop, Peeping Tom and of course, the very learned, interesting and fearless Freddie Kissoon.

Your paper is not consistent on the internet. This can be very frustrating. I couldn't access your letter pages three times in November and twice last month. Your archives section is erratic.

When I miss a few issues of Freddie Kissoon, I normally catch up with the archives but your archives slot was not working two weeks ago.

Philip De Freitas