Duncan takes Speaker to task

Feb 07, 2026 News

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…submits motion to restore full access to Parliament by local media

(Kaieteur News) – Taking up Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir on his challenge, A Partnership for National Unity Member of Parliament, Sherod Duncan on Friday formally submitted a motion to the house, calling for the restoration of full, transparent, and non-discriminatory media access to parliamentary proceedings.

Duncan made the announcement on the final day of budget debates at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

According to a release, the motion is co-sponsored by MP Saiku Andrews and reaffirms the National Assembly as the People’s House and seeks to ensure that duly accredited media are able to independently observe, record, and report on sittings, in keeping with democratic norms, public accountability, and the constitutional right of citizens to information.

The motion titled “media access to the proceedings of the National Assembly” details that the National Assembly is the People’s House and its preceeding must be conducted in a manner that guarantees openness, transparency, accountability and public confidence.

“And whereas, duly accredited media houses serve as dispensable democratic function democratic function by independently observing, recording and reporting on the proceedings of the National Assembly on behalf of the Guyanese people,” the motion states.

On Tuesday, during his contribution to the budget debate, Duncan criticised the decision of the House Speaker to restrict media access to the National Assembly. The Speaker challenged Duncan to bring a formal motion if he wished the policy to be changed.

Duncan condemned the limitation placed on media coverage of parliamentary proceedings of the 13th Parliament and had called on the Speaker to immediately lift the restrictions, arguing that they undermine press freedom and democratic norms.

He strongly condemned the policy during his contribution, accusing the government of hypocrisy on press freedom. “Now this is a government who will tell you about press freedom and Press Freedom Day and how much they respect the media, but they continue to lock out the media from the People’s House,” Duncan said.  He added, “This is a troubling move and a clear break from democratic norms and long-standing parliamentary practice. This House must immediately rescind the restraints and restore full unfettered access to all accredited media.”

Before Duncan could continue, Speaker Nadir rose to his feet and without stopping the MP’s speaking time, read aloud from the Standing Orders governing media access to the National Assembly. He stressed that under Standing Order 110, the authority to grant or revoke permission for media representatives to attend sittings rests solely with the Speaker, subject to rules made by the Assembly. “I want to turn your attention and the clock is working, to page 59 of Standing Order 110. The Speaker may grant general permission to representatives of any media to attend sittings of the Assembly under such rules as the National Assembly may make from time to time. If such rules are contravened, such permission may be revoked.”

Addressing Duncan directly, Nadir urged him to pursue the matter through a motion. “You can bring a motion to this House, have it debated and passed, and I will implement it,” Nadir said. “Until then, what existed in this House up to the end of the last sitting of the 12th Parliament has been expanded. That position was established in consultation with the Guyana Press Association (GPA). So, when you speak of full unfretted access to the media be careful.  You have an option, you can mislead persons who want to go down that road or you can bring a motion,” Nadir stated.

Nadir rejected claims that the media had been locked out of Parliament, maintaining that both private and state media continue to have access. “I will continue to ensure that the media the private media as well as the state media have access. No one is being restricted from covering the proceedings of this house,” the speaker said.

Duncan, however, strongly condemned the policy during his contribution, accusing the government of hypocrisy on press freedom. The controversy follows a decision by Speaker Nadir on Monday to reinstate pandemic-era restrictions on media coverage of the 13th Parliament. Journalists arriving at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre for the opening of the Budget Debate were informed that only five reporters would be allowed inside the parliamentary dome at any given time, on a first come first served approach.

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• APNU, Manzoor Nadir, Parliament, Sherod Duncan

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