Commissioner picketed for being a stumbling block to information access

Last Updated on Saturday, 29 March 2025, 12:24 by Writer

Several interested stakeholders picketed the Office of the Commissioner of Information, Retired Justice Charles Ramson, on Friday over his alleged refusal to respond to several requests for information.

Despite calling for him aloud several times to seek a response to the accusations, no one answered or went to the window at that time.

Organised by Attorney-at-Law and Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram, the picketing demonstration on the East Street Avenue opposite Mr Ramson’s office, formerly his residence, attracted participation from civil society activists, private citizens, media personnel, and opposition politicians. Mr Ram said the protest would continue every Friday for the next four weeks by which time he hoped government would meet with representatives of the group to examine whether the less than satisfactory functioning of the mechanism was due to personnel, person or the law. He said the Access To Information Act needed to be reviewed.

“If they are not deaf, it must send a message that something is wrong with the way citizens are permitted access to information in this country and that they will do something about it,” said Mr Ram.

The placards read, among other expressions, “Accountability starts with Access – Stop the coverup”, “Secrecy Breeds Corruption! Open the files”, “Transparency delayed is justice denied” and “The Constitution isn’t optional-enforce Article 146”.

Director of Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc (TIGI), Frederick Collins, said his organisation participated in the protest because of its “vested interest” in accessing information. In contrast to India, where the Right to Information mechanism is managed by the Supreme Court and allows even the smallest child to file a request and receive information, he said “what we have here is a joke”. “It is apparent to us that this Act is not intended for Freedom of Information. It is intended for freedom to hide information,” he said. Mr Collins believed that the Commissioner of Information and his office were being funded by taxpayers but without any benefit to ordinary Guyanese.

For instance, several persons complained that the Commissioner of Information repeatedly demands that he be addressed by his correct title “Justice”. “If that is the kind of mentality that you have at high levels… The posture is not one of servant… That is what I call uncivil service,” Mr Collins said.

Similarly, Editor-in-Chief of the privately-owned independent newspaper, Stabroek News, Anand Persaud said his publication had filed a number of information requests but Mr Ramson “requires to be addressed in a certain way with “Esquire” coming at the end of the address. “There is no way you can have communication with somebody who is just going to be difficult and who is just looking for a way to be not responsive,” Mr Ramson said. After acceding to that demand, Mr Persaud said the response was non-committal. Mr Persaud said he opted to join the picket line to press the case for a functioning Office of Commissioner of Information because the average citizen needs to have information on a “whole range of things”.

He called on President Irfaan Ali to address the non-functioning office and virtually no implementation of the Access To Information Act, even as he raised suspicion about the People’s Progressive Party Civic-led administration’s commitment to openness. “I do believe the government isn’t so concerned about it because I think they have always been concerned about information getting out that they can’t control and if you have this free flow if information to the public, for them that puts them at a disadvantage,” he said. Mr Persaud said a properly implemented Access To Information Act and facilitating Commissioner of Information would empower ordinary Guyanese with information alongside politicians and the private sector to allow them to make decisions.

Kaieteur News publisher, Glenn Lall lamented the “total blackout, total secrecy” in how Guyana was being managed. He also complained that his newspaper’s several requests for information have been ignored. He said Kaieteur News was unable to see the ExxonMobil audit reports, field development plans and insurance against an oil spill. “We have asked him so many times without even getting an acknowledgement letter of the requests we made,” he said. Mr Lall said his newspaper was in “dire straits” because of its inability to obtain information to inform the nation. “This entire country is totally in blackout. When you don’t know what’s happening with our resources, where does that leave us?” he asked.

General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Lincoln Lewis said Guyanese were being affected by the dysfunctional implementation of the Access To Information Act because researchers could not analyse the situation. He also said the GTUC and the now late Ramon Gaskin had written to Mr Ramson but he never replied.

Civil Society activist, Vanda Radzik bemoaned the government’s tight grip on information that is intended for the public. She added her voice to the call for the Access To Information Act to be reviewed and amended. She said the Commissioner of Information needs to be stripped of several powers. “It has to be made far more citizen-friendly. It basically needs a thorough review and overhaul,” she said. Ms Radzik said over the years she was aware of requests for information. “There is no response. This is part of the problem. We are hoping that by coming out today we will get a response from the Commissioner and actually the Office of the President who has overarching responsibility over the Commissioner’s files but it looks as if its this one-man show,” she said. If the Office of Commissioner of Information needs more staff to ensure that the “flow of information is public authentic and regular.”

Several executive members of the Alliance For Change, former Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine, former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran, newspaper columnist Gabriel Lall and other persons participated in the picketing demonstration.