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Opposition leader calls out local weblog
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| Published on Thursday, July 2, 2009 |
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A controversial local weblog, the TCI Journal, has now come under attack by the leader of the opposition Floyd Seymour, for what he calls a scandalous article.
In an interview aired on WIV TV, Seymour stated, “Barack Obama does not give interviews with the National Enquirer and Floyd Seymour does not give interviews with the TCI Journal”
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| Floyd Seymour, Leader of the Opposition |
“The national leaders of countries do not meet with tabloids,” said the leader of the opposition Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM).
The day after the 6th session of the House of Assembly, the TCI Journal posted two articles attacking the opposition. In one article they attributed remarks made in the House session to Arthur Robinson, which indicated he was in favour of issuing border stop orders and was against the enlargement of expatriate population of the TCI.
“This is outlandish and is far from the truth,” Robinson told the TCI Net News. “Actually I took the opposite position. I was on a committee to empower the new stimulus bill which would make it easy for expats who invest in a home or business here to come and stay as long as they prefer, up to 21 years!”
“We welcome our expat residents. It seems someone connected with the TCI Journal has an agenda to disrupt the PDM party and leadership. The opposition made headlines and caused a proactive stir with the positions we took yesterday in the House meeting and someone connected with the Journal is trying to counter our success. They have some kind of an agenda,” said Robinson.
“They claim to be an open truthful site but they stoop to untruths for reasons yet to be announced,” he added.
In a second article, the TCI Journal claimed that, in December, Seymour and Robinson joined with then Premier Michael Misick to meet with the Governor, pressuring him to call an election. The article went on to say that PDM leader Seymour and Robinson later had a second meeting with the Governor, again asking for a election.
The Journal “editors” and contributor Shaun Malcolm have posted a number of articles charging the PDM leadership for going against the wishes of the party’s National Governing Council and favouring elections rather than a British takeover. The basis for this Journal position is unclear and they now appear to be attempting to justify it.
In the TV interview addressing the Journal’s claim that he partnered with Misick, Seymour stated that he does not confer with corrupt officials. Seymour said, “In fact, I have asked them all to resign from the House floor. This is what is normal in all jurisdictions around the world.”
In a strong letter immediately emailed to the known editor of the Journal, Seymour denied that there was any truth in the article. On request, Seymour provided TCI Net News with both a copy of his letter and the reply from the Journal. The reply stated that the Journal had sources that insisted the report of the election calls and cooperation between Seymour and Misick was true.
However, the author of the article, the author of the reply letter and the person(s) who are the claimed sources have not identified themselves. The reply letter did indicate that the Journal editor who was addressed was not the article’s author and the reply itself was signed by another person using the name “editors”.
The editors of the TCI Journal remain anonymous. The only editor ever announced was attorney and Caribbean Net News columnist Anthony Hall, who withdrew from his position as Journal editor months ago.
Various officials of the PDM, including the current chairwoman, as well as several other PDM activists interviewed, have denied the leadership ever asked the governor for a election. Seymour has promised to approach the Governor to obtain confirmation of his position.
In a third article, the TCI Journal has appeared to back off its position following numerous letters from listeners to the House of Assembly broadcasts denying the statements attributed to Robinson were true. In fact, the original article appeared to be hearsay because the unknown “editors” did admit the remarks by Robinson were reported to them and they did not actually listen to the House broadcast or attend the House session.
The Journal claims that they and their contributors have received threats texted to them including death threats. They attribute these at least in part to the PDM party. One person known to be an editor has accused one PDM official of being part of some behind the scenes attacks on the Journal. However, there was nothing specific in the claim.
One contributor to the Journal, who claimed he has received death threats, has promised to research the source of the text messages and publish the results. This promise was provided months ago and has yet to be forthcoming. There have been no other reports of threats to media personnel.
In recent weeks, the Journal reported their site has been shut down by Lord Ashcroft and Dr Cem Kinay for articles they posted relating to them. On two occasions, the Journal site was suspended by the web hosts. Currently they claim to be setting up four backup sites. According to the “editors”, they have moved the site from England to India to Malaysia and currently to Japan.
Shaun Malcolm a regular contributor to the TCI Journal was previously the PDM chairman and partnered with attorney Finbar Grant contenting for leadership of the PDM party last year receiving only one vote other than their own.
Malcolm has attacked the PDM party in Journal articles on several occasions after he lost the leadership election. While Malcolm has denied he is one of the editors he did speak with authority in a WIV interviews after the second shut down of the Journal. Malcolm and Grant both were previously PNP activists in the Washington Misick administration. Sources have informed TCI Net News that in 2001 Shaun Malcolm then a PNP scheduled a gospel concert at the Allegra Resort. However a check tendered to gospel star Kirk Franklin by Malcolm was reported to have been returned for insufficient funds.
Then Minister of Tourism PDM Oswald Skippings is reported to have come to Malcolm’s rescue and made the payment good. Malcolm then turned PDM and was sponsored by Skippings in a primary election at Grand Turk’s South Basilina district. Malcolm lost to Art Robinson by a landslide and Robinson went on to win the seat in the general election.
These two political reversals suffered by Malcolm one to Seymour and one to Robinson have caused many to speculate that the vocal Malcolm has been attacking the PDM as a reprisal for being rejected by party faithful.
A number of insiders in the PDM party have blamed then Chairman Malcolm at least in part for the bad press the PDM party received in the run up to the 2007 election when PNP won a 13 to 2 victory.
One PDM official has been told on two separate occasions by another known editor of the Journal that “they” have exciting news to be announced in a few weeks. There have been speculations that TCI Journal contributors expect to part of the interim government or form a third political party, or contend to overtake and change the leadership of the PDM. | | | | Reads : 508 |
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| Comments: |
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Richard Berke:
David, David, David... such hogwash! |
| R.F. Houseman:
Richard Berke,
What you and the TCI Journal dishes out daily is nothing but crap. You Journal people like to dish out but, when it comes to your hides, you people go on the defense.
If you would leave that hallucinogen alone may be, just may be you will be able to think straight and see the truth and your gang for who they are, nothing but modern day gangsters. |
| "the editors":
Dear Mr Berke,
Which David David are you referrring to? |
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