Latest update March 13th, 2026 11:54 AM
APNU, WIN bemoan Speaker’s decision to allow only NCN at Opposition Leader election
(Kaieteur News) – The decision by Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir to allow only the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN) to be present on Monday for the election of the Leader of the Opposition has been heavily criticised by the opposition parties.
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) have objected to the Speaker’s decision.
Speaking at an APNU press conference on Friday, party lead MP Dr. Terrence Campbell said the reported restriction reflects a troubling pattern and should be condemned.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir
He said, “my understanding that the speaker of the national assembly in keeping with his current practices or current trend has decided that only NCN will be present um for the election of the leader of the opposition. I believe that if NCN should be present, all media houses should be present. And at this point, if the reports are true to actually condemn that very partisan decision.”
Similarly, WIN in a statement issued on Saturday, described the move as discriminatory and inconsistent with democratic norms and press freedom.
“The decision to allow only the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN) at the Opposition Leader’s election demonstrates a bias and is contrary to transparency, fairness, and press freedom in Guyana,” the party said.
WIN’s leader Azruddin Mohamed, who has been identified as the presumptive Opposition Leader, called for the decision to be reversed.
He said, “I therefore formally request that this decision be reviewed and rescinded without delay and that all accredited media houses be allowed access to cover the election process in the National Assembly. No single state-owned media house is the sole gatekeeper of information.”
WIN contended that the election of the Leader of the Opposition is a matter of public interest and should be conducted openly, without media restrictions or any appearance of political favouritism. It also noted that it has drawn the matter to the attention of international and local stakeholders, including diplomatic missions and transparency bodies.
On Saturday, Stabroek reported that Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs confirmed the Speaker’s decision.
“Only NCN, as instructed by the Speaker of the National Assembly, will be allowed in the Chamber, and I was told that the feed will be provided to other members of the media,” Isaacs was quoted as saying.
Further, Stabroek News reported that President of the Guyana Press Association (GPA), Iva Wharton, said the association wrote the Clerk seeking clarity on media access arrangements, particularly for the upcoming budget debates and clarity on the arrangements for the election of the Opposition Leader.
Wharton told Stabroek News that five seats had reportedly been allocated to media houses for the budget, with three possibly designated for the Department of Public Information (DPI).
“So, we have asked for the criteria used to allocate the remaining two seats designated to independent media, assuming that if three go to DPI, the other two would go to independent outlets,” Wharton said.
According to the report, Wharton said that the GPA also requested details on the guidelines or restrictions that will govern media presence within the National Assembly on the day of the proceedings.
On the election of the Leader of the Opposition, the GPA President told Stabroek News that traditionally the media is not invited into those meetings.
“Generally, we have never been invited into one of those meetings. We would usually just receive information on who the Opposition Leader is and then seek interviews with the individual and their team,” she said. “However, we have asked for the reasons why coverage of these proceedings has been restricted to such a finite number of media.”
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