Government Censorship

The apparent indecent haste which the NNP administration has pursued the Electronic Crime Bill, is certainly no accident as  the NNP will want us to believe.

The past NDC administration outlawed criminal libel in our law as a matter of principle; NNP did not see it fit in their 13 years in office, because they wanted to keep this sword over the necks of journalists who dared criticize the administration. That law was used to arrest and charge George Worme and when the case reached the Privy Council, it was thrown out.

Now Dr. Mitchell is back at the helm, he used the public outcry about the outrageous photos involving a school girl, to slip this piece of legislation under the door.When you look at the language of the bill, it fits perfectly the mentality of Dr. Mitchell.  

The thirst to persecute those who oppose him by this crude attempt to criminalize comment that can be deemed to be “offensive” and aimed at causing” annoyance, inconvenience, insult and ill-will” is right up his alley.

The Prime Minister has said openly that he is concerned about his legacy, so he is hell bent on finding and silencing all those persons who has the courage to expose his actions.

Keith Mitchell‘s dictatorial tendencies have taken a new turn. Everything and everyone in any position of influence in the state of Grenada must get his stamp of approval.  He must be “comfortable’ with them. It is a case where his whims and fancies rule supreme.  Keith is creating a new form of dictatorship can compare to likes of Robert Mugabe maybe he is a carbon copy of the man himself.

Grenada’s reputation is one now attracting international attention. It is interesting to note that when the President of the local Media Workers Association was contacted she replied she did not think that the new law would not prove to be a “hindrance to freedom of expression” to journalists on the island. But, she added, the law would affect “a couple of people” who practice anonymous, mean-spirited posting that has bedeviled media houses.

That comment is not surprising as this individual openly boast about being an “NNP to the bone”. If her aim is to serve the interest of the regime then logically “hindrance” for her is not being able to peddle negative information about the NDC and other non-NNP political forces in the country.

This deceitful regime in response to foreign media and local social groups like the Voice of the people reported their concerns about certain aspects  for the bill on Facebook pages.This bill represents the true image of   Keith Mitchell and the NNP administration. Free speech is hardly a thing that the Prime Minister tolerates especially from his political opponents.

The local media have imposed a gag order on itself so consultation with the MWAG executive is a monumental waste of time. Keith Mitchell has already said to various sectors that if they have to publish anything of public interest check him first or “else.” No amount of back peddling by the NNP administration will fool Grenadians. The original text of the proposed law is what he set out to deliver.

 The sad thing is that it took a vigilant foreign media and social media like the Voice of the People Facebook page and  The Eagle Eye radio program to raise the alarm, while our lame duck local media conveniently “looking the other way. ”