Georgetown, Guyana – The Parliament of Guyana notes that, despite repeated calls by sections of the private media for additional seating within the Parliamentary Dome, private media seats remained unfilled for several hours during recent sittings of the National Assembly. This occurred notwithstanding claims that more seats were urgently required to facilitate independent media coverage.

Furthermore, the Parliament Office, therefore, reaffirms that private media seating has already been expanded and further notes that there remains an additional designated media section on the ground floor of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), where no numerical limit is imposed on accredited media representatives, with access to a live feed of the proceedings.

The Parliament of Guyana also wishes to respond to recent public statements by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and other entities regarding media access to the National Assembly proceedings.

The Parliament categorically affirms that media access to parliamentary proceedings has not been restricted nor curtailed, and that transparency remains a cornerstone of the operations of the Thirteenth Parliament.

At all times during the Sittings of the National Assembly, continuous, uninterrupted livestream coverage has been made available to the public and the media via the official Parliament of Guyana website and its Facebook and YouTube platforms. Access to these livestreams was never halted, interrupted, or withdrawn.

It is important to note that, throughout the Sittings, only three members of the private media were observed in the Parliamentary Dome at various times, well within the agreed rotational arrangement. This rotation system was jointly agreed upon with the Guyana Press Association, allowing private media houses to rotate personnel in the Dome to ensure fair access while maintaining order and safety.

Under the established Parliamentary Protocol, five journalists and two photographers from the private media are permitted access to sit in the Dome during Sittings. For clarity, state media entities are not included in the private media count, and accordingly, the National Communications Network (NCN) was excluded from this allocation. In further demonstration of flexibility and co-operation, the Parliament expanded access from five to seven private media representatives within the Dome.

Additionally, the Department of Public Information (DPI) continues to provide full and comprehensive coverage of parliamentary proceedings. The Parliament affirms that DPI will continue to provide coverage for the duration of the Thirteenth Parliament, consistent with long-standing practice.

It should also be recalled that during the Twelfth Parliament, an outflow arrangement was facilitated on the ground floor of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, providing live feed access for media representatives. Similar principles of access continue to guide the current Parliament’s approach.

Prior to the commencement of the Budget Speeches, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Manzoor Nadir, J.P., M.P., in his address, made it abundantly clear that the Parliament Office shall not deviate from its commitment to access to the National Assembly. The Speaker also reiterated that long-held rules governing conduct within this Chamber include that visitors are not permitted to cheer, record videos, or otherwise disrupt proceedings in keeping with the dignity and order of this House.

In most Sittings, media representatives did not exceed the agreed-upon rotational allocation.

The Parliament of Guyana, therefore, reaffirms its commitment to transparency and press access while balancing these principles with maintaining order, security, and dignity at the National Assembly, which is known as a People’s House.

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Georgetown, Guyana – The Parliament of Guyana notes that, despite repeated calls by sections of the private media for additional seating within the Parliamentary Dome, private media seats remained unfilled for several hours during recent sittings of the National Assembly. This occurred notwithstanding claims that more seats were urgently required to facilitate independent media coverage.

Furthermore, the Parliament Office, therefore, reaffirms that private media seating has already been expanded and further notes that there remains an additional designated media section on the ground floor of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), where no numerical limit is imposed on accredited media representatives, with access to a live feed of the proceedings.

The Parliament of Guyana also wishes to respond to recent public statements by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and other entities regarding media access to the National Assembly proceedings.

The Parliament categorically affirms that media access to parliamentary proceedings has not been restricted nor curtailed, and that transparency remains a cornerstone of the operations of the Thirteenth Parliament.

At all times during the Sittings of the National Assembly, continuous, uninterrupted livestream coverage has been made available to the public and the media via the official Parliament of Guyana website and its Facebook and YouTube platforms. Access to these livestreams was never halted, interrupted, or withdrawn.

It is important to note that, throughout the Sittings, only three members of the private media were observed in the Parliamentary Dome at various times, well within the agreed rotational arrangement. This rotation system was jointly agreed upon with the Guyana Press Association, allowing private media houses to rotate personnel in the Dome to ensure fair access while maintaining order and safety.

Under the established Parliamentary Protocol, five journalists and two photographers from the private media are permitted access to sit in the Dome during Sittings. For clarity, state media entities are not included in the private media count, and accordingly, the National Communications Network (NCN) was excluded from this allocation. In further demonstration of flexibility and co-operation, the Parliament expanded access from five to seven private media representatives within the Dome.

Additionally, the Department of Public Information (DPI) continues to provide full and comprehensive coverage of parliamentary proceedings. The Parliament affirms that DPI will continue to provide coverage for the duration of the Thirteenth Parliament, consistent with long-standing practice.

It should also be recalled that during the Twelfth Parliament, an outflow arrangement was facilitated on the ground floor of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, providing live feed access for media representatives. Similar principles of access continue to guide the current Parliament’s approach.

Prior to the commencement of the Budget Speeches, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Manzoor Nadir, J.P., M.P., in his address, made it abundantly clear that the Parliament Office shall not deviate from its commitment to access to the National Assembly. The Speaker also reiterated that long-held rules governing conduct within this Chamber include that visitors are not permitted to cheer, record videos, or otherwise disrupt proceedings in keeping with the dignity and order of this House.

In most Sittings, media representatives did not exceed the agreed-upon rotational allocation.

The Parliament of Guyana, therefore, reaffirms its commitment to transparency and press access while balancing these principles with maintaining order, security, and dignity at the National Assembly, which is known as a People’s House.

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