Thursday, March 28, 2024

‘Grenada’s image tarnished’

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ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – Prime Minister Tillman Thomas today accused Grenadian journalist Hamlet Mark of giving Grenada a bad name in the regional and international media.
Thomas, who appeared on the local radio programme, ‘Sundays with George Grant’, read excerpts of an article published by Mark following news of the recent Cabinet reshuffle.
In the article Mark claimed that ‘there was a 40th hour window this past week when our democracy was effectively hijacked and nobody said a word. The constituency leaders who met last night and rebuked the Prime Minister about his handling of the situation were not challenging his right to reshuffle his Cabinet, they were protesting the collapse of collective governance.’
“What I find strange about this thing is that here you have the Prime Minister trying to give effect to the Constitution of Grenada doing a reshuffle and at the same time maintaining that promise to the people of accountability and transparency and the moment I set out to do this you have…Mr. Hamlet Mark…put (this) out in the region,” Thomas said.
“This is a man that is giving Grenada a bad image abroad. Here you have a democratic country were the Prime Minister is operating within the Constitution to do a reshuffle and at the same time to carry out what we stated in our manifesto to maintain accountability and transparency and this is a person writing that democracy is hijacked in Grenada.”
Thomas said “the group which claims they are not satisfied with my leadership” seems to be close with Hamlet Mark because he has been advising or writing for them.
“Tell me…is there any collapse of collective governance in Grenada?” asked Thomas.
“This is a journalist and this is why I am saying that people like you and other journalists you all ought to set the record straight and when people use the media for such deception they should be corrected by people who are concerned about objectivity and good journalism,” the Prime Minister said to the host of the programme.
Thomas said that while he has nothing against Mark, in recent times the journalist has been attacking him and “trying to create instability in Grenada”.
“My concern is not about me. I could take care of myself. It’s Grenada I’m thinking about. When people go out to undermine and to create instability in the country deliberately we have to take a stand against it,” he said.
Thomas said Mark was “dangerous to Grenada” after he read another excerpt in which the journalist claimed that ‘the second cabinet of exclusively non-elected members, and all of whom are not even members of the party took over with the supposed knowledge and acceptance of the Prime Minister.’
Thomas said that he was called by another Caribbean leader who wanted to find out what was happening in Grenada after reading the Hamlet Mark article.
The Prime Minister explained Mark had presented a proposal to the Cabinet following the last election, to provide public relations for the Government.
Thomas said Mark wanted to be paid large amounts in US currency and his proposal was rejected. (CMC)

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