Opposition party, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has registered its concern over the House Speaker, Manzoor Nadir’s imposition of restrictions to independent media.
See release below:
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) registers its profound concern and condemnation of the recent decision by the Speaker of the National Assembly to severely restrict access by independent media to parliamentary proceedings. This action, which limits journalists to a small quota, requires the surrender of personal identification documents for entry, and bars all but the Department of Public Information from filming inside the Chamber, represents a disturbing departure from democratic norms and long established parliamentary practice in Guyana.
The National Assembly is the people’s house. It belongs not to any government or officeholder but to the citizens of Guyana. The media, as a constitutional pillar in any democracy, plays a vital role in ensuring transparency, accountability, and the free flow of information. To curtail that role is to curtail the people’s right to know.
What has transpired cannot be explained as simple administrative adjustment or space management. It is a clear act of censorship by exclusion. The forced reliance on state controlled DPI footage, with no live feed provided to independent newsroom teams, and the severe limitation on journalistic presence undermine the principles of openness and fairness that should guide every sitting of the National Assembly.
APNU strongly asserts that freedom of the press is non-negotiable. Any attempt to restrict media access or to monopolize the narrative emerging from the National Assembly threatens the very fabric of democratic life in Guyana. No Speaker of the House should preside over measures that weaken transparency or shield parliamentary proceedings from independent scrutiny.
APNU, therefore, calls on the Speaker to immediately rescind these measures and to restore full and unfettered access for all accredited media houses. We further urge civil society, the Guyana Press Association, and all parliamentary actors, Government and Opposition alike, to defend the constitutional protections that guarantee freedom of expression and access to information.
Guyana cannot move forward by moving backwards. APNU remains committed to safeguarding democratic institutions and will continue to advocate firmly against any action that endangers press freedom, public accountability, or the rights of citizens to be informed.
