Dear Editor, 

Over many years, starting with the period when Mr de Caires was the editor-in-chief, Stabroek News has printed my letters every time I have submitted them. There have been corrections to my letters over the years, even when Mr de Caires was alive, but I always appreciated the sometimes subtle changes which, in fact, made my work much better in terms of syntax and brevity. When I started writing my letters to the editor of SN, years ago, I knew that Mr de Caires was the foremost journalist in Guyana and that the SN was the most professional, the most objective, the most committed to impartiality and to seeing all views presented, and most importantly, under Mr de Caires, was the most elegant newspaper in this country. In the beginning, I always wondered if my letters would get past Mr de Caires as I knew he was the best, and when he printed them I always felt good that he saw a value in my political opinions because I regarded him ‒ and still do ‒ as a true patriot of Guyana.

Editor, I am sure that Mr de Caires, God bless his soul, is looking down in pride and satisfaction, as SN continues his legacy to the Guyanese people by keeping his standards high, maintaining his impartiality and opening the doors to new ideas and opinions so the citizens of Guyana will become more educated about current events and social controversies. In particular, SN should be very proud of its editorials, which continue in the vein of the founder’s brilliant editorials when he was alive.

Editor, I would to take this opportunity to thank everyone at SN for the great job you all are doing for our nation because without the free press, democracy would become nonexistent. In closing, I would like to thank SN for publishing my opinions over the years and I wish all the very best to your enterprise in the future, and I know that the following words of Mr David de Caires will drive you foward and will stand the test of time: “We [SN] cannot afford to be in anyone’s pocket or even in their corner.

The free press must see itself as an important arbiter committed to ideals and values that transcend interest groups of one kind or another.”

Yours faithfully,

Cheddi (Joey) Jagan (Jr)