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Speaker blocks motion on media access to National Assembly
(Kaieteur News) – Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir has disallowed a motion submitted by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP) Sherod Duncan that sought to deal with the media’s access to proceedings in House.
Duncan, in a statement on Thursday said he received two separate correspondences from the Office of the Speaker addressing matters he raised through the parliamentary process
According to the MP, the second letter informed him that his motion related to media access to parliamentary proceedings had been rejected.
“The second letter informs me that my motion on media access to the proceedings of the National Assembly has been disallowed by the Speaker on the grounds that the “Whereas” clauses allegedly contain inaccuracies and biases,” the MP Duncan noted.
A Partnership for National Unity Member of Parliament, Sherod Duncan
However, he stressed that the correspondence did not specify what those alleged inaccuracies were nor provide an opportunity for revisions that might allow the motion to proceed.
“Customary in many cases, for revisions or clarifications that could allow the motion to proceed. In practice, there is usually engagement with the Clerk’s Office to refine motions where necessary so that they conform to the Standing Orders. That process appears not to have occurred in this instance,” the MP stated.
During the 2026 budget, Nadir decided to revive COVID-era restrictions to limit media access to the budget debates.
Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir
Reporters, who arrived at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre to cover the opening of the 2026 Budget Debates, were informed that only five journalists would be allowed inside the parliamentary Dome at any given time. The move had sparked widespread backlash from the Guyana Press Association and senior journalists, with growing calls for the Speaker to immediately lift the controversial measures.
Speaker Nadir in response to the opposition’s dissatisfaction with his decision informed that his decision can be challenged via a motion.
In keeping with the Speaker’s statement, Duncan submitted a motion to the House calling for the restoration of full, transparent, and non-discriminatory media access to parliamentary proceedings.
The motion titled “media access to the proceedings of the National Assembly” details that the National Assembly is the ‘People’s House’ and its proceedings must be conducted in a manner that guarantees openness, transparency, accountability and public confidence.
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