May 5, 2006
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Sir,
Please allow me a little space to comment on an article that appeared on the front page of “The People” publication this week, entitled “Revealed: The new DP Leader, Paul Chow, is a crook”.
At the outset may I say that the article demonstrates the degree to which the SPPF leadership will descend in order to keep power. The article by implication attempts to taint both Mr. Paul Chow and Mr. Bernard Georges (obtaining money by false pretences), as criminals and the SNP and DP, as complicit in a criminal act (perversion of the course of justice) by as it alleges making a deal to “force the hand of the judiciary”. As far as I know there are no criminal cases pending in any court in
There is a reference in the article to the “Bernard Georges case” which directly alleges that as a result he is “a crook” and that “he is standing trial” without substantiation of any kind. A trial suggests by implication the involvement of the state in a criminal prosecution, which is not the case. The People’s version of journalism is to publish lies about members of the public. The article, therefore, is clearly defamatory.
It seems quite evident that the SPPF, through it’s organ, The People, is now so desperate that it has decided to spread as much malicious lies on their political opponents in a futile effort to discredit them. Coming from the SPPF, whose leadership committed treason – an offense punishable by death in many countries – in order to grab power, the exercise is hollow.
The SPPF and its leadership is about to be tried in the court of public opinion called democratic elections. I have little doubt that we will soon see the SPPF, “The People” newspaper and its editor in court, itself facing the consequences of defamation and substantial damages in a court of law in due course.
NAME WITHHELD
OUR NATIONAL MONUMENTS
Sir,
This week the SPPF government has called on all Seychellois to “celebrate our national monuments”. This call has been proclaimed widely through the Nation newspaper and SBC television coverage.
The Saturday edition of the Nation dedicated its two central pages “urging us all to discover our new national heritage”. It suggests that a further seven new monuments have been proclaimed, with a further four to follow.
In most democracies the proclamation of a national monument is done following extensive research and consultation with the people in the district in which the monument is based and with the population at large and the educational institutes, to develop an extensive history or portrait of the monument in question and thereby establish its credentials to be lifted to the austere category of a protected national monument.
In
This so called group of experts “the National Monuments Board was established in 1980, “to assume control over and preserve any old building or natural site which is of historical or scientific interest”. No where it appears does its mandate extend to selecting those monuments which are to be protected and preserved.
Community consultation should be the norm, but by and large it never takes place. It was most enlightening to note the quotation from the Nation newspaper advising that “the last national monument to be declared was in 1986 and this is the SPPF building in
One could be forgiven for thinking that the selection process, may have more to do with politics than with a desire to celebrate our national heritage.
NAME WITHHELD
THE SPPF WAY
Sir,
The government has developed a community centre in each district using the States resources (the people’s money, raised through taxes and licensing). In a democratic State where good governance and accountability prevails, these State resources are used purely for the purpose for which they were intended. That is for community functions as opposed to party political functions.
In this respect, I was quite perturbed, as I am sure, many people in the district were, to see our community centre being used to openly and unashamedly promote the propaganda of the SPPF. On Sunday an SPPF function was held in the community centre. Red flags and banners were placed at strategic points along the road and at the centre.
It certainly makes one wonder as to whether other political parties will be given the same opportunity or whether the SPPF is paying any leasing arrangements for the Centre or whether they were responsible for the clean up afterwards or whether they used government paid URS workers to clean up after one of their usual disorderly, drunken meetings.
I think this all warrants some investigation and responses from the SPPF hierarchy and the Ministry of Local Government. The residents of the district and
ANSE BOILEAU RESIDENT
AN
Sir,
The recent announcement by the SNP and the DP that they are considering an electoral alliance is the best news for the future direction of
The SPPF are well aware of this fact and they can see imminent defeat staring them in the face. This has become increasingly obvious in the number of articles they are now devoting in “The People”, “People Plus” and Isola Bella, to try and convince the parties themselves and the voting public that there are “divisions” between SNP and DP which cannot be bridged or that their “internal fabric is looking very shaky”.
I urge both SNP and DP and every Seychellois who wants to see this country move away from the crises it faces in health, education, foreign exchange, debt, supply of goods etc., etc to ignore the fruitless attempts by SPPF to “divide and conquer” and vote them out of office when the time comes.
LET’S CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
KI DEAL – SPPF
Sir,
Week in and week out the “People Plus” rag bag, insults our intelligence with its dribble.
Without exception, almost every week it carries a fabricated article which alleges a “serten dimoun dan leo corgate estate” has approached the SNP offices for a “mwenza” to buy food. I cannot help but wonder. SPPF constantly informs us that they have all Seychellois at heart “dan fon nous leker” and yet there are it appears all these people who need to go to Arpent Vert to seek a small sum of money to buy food.
Does this not tell the SPPF that all is “not well”, that there are pockets of poverty around?
The constant SPPF dribble that (all is OK with the economy and people in general) is a bunch of lies.
ANON