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President Ali promises to hold press conference on return from overseas visit
Kaieteur News – Amid a blackout of official press conferences and growing concerns by media houses President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday committed to hosting a news conference upon his return from an official overseas visit.
President Irfaan Ali
The Head of State declined to respond to questions put to him yesterday on the sidelines of the opening of the Good Hope Secondary School, East Coast Demerara. He told Kaieteur News that he was running late for an urgent meeting and would host a press conference “soon”. He did not indicate when he was expected to travel or return.
President Ali has had a limited number of press conferences since assuming office in August 2020. His government has also been heavily criticized for failing to host post Cabinet press briefings as was the custom under the previous A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition government. These engagements serve as a medium for the administration to be held to account for its decisions that affect the lives of the entire population.
Rather than hosting press conferences, the Head of State has been disseminating live statements on critical issues, thereby preventing the media from playing its role in questioning certain decisions and actions taken by government. During a press conference on January 17, 2023 at State House, the President told this publication that he is accessible to the press and even described himself as the “most accessible President in the history of Guyana”. Ali said reporters can attest to him being open to questions at any event he attends. Yesterday however was the second function that the President attended and did not take questions from the media. While attending the opening ceremony of a private hospital at Leonora in Region Three, Kaieteur News had approached the President and followed him during his tour of the facility but he slipped into his vehicle while his Security team prevented the reporter from accessing him.
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