Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir
GEORGETOWN, Guyana--Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir has resurrected pandemic-era restrictions to curtail media coverage of the 13th Parliament, triggering outrage from journalists and press freedom advocates.
Reporters who arrived at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Monday 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.
Kaieteur News was told that each representative will be required to lodge a form of identification- a national Identification (ID) card, Passport or Driver’s License, upon which one of five media passes will be granted. The lodgment of IDs was required for other persons attending the Sitting, with the exception of Members of Parliament (MPs).
In defending the enforcement of such an onerous initiative, the Speaker, Manzoor Nadir said that this was merely a continuation of what was obtained in 2020 during the Pandemic.
The GPA in a statement that came mere moments before the third Sitting of the 13th Parliament got underway highlighted its deep concern over the restrictions imposed on media coverage of the Budget Debates.
The Association pointed out that this represents a significant reduction from previous years, when up to 17 reporters were accommodated within Parliament Buildings to cover sessions. As such, it said, “It is difficult to comprehend why, in a larger space, fewer reporters are now permitted.”
In addition to the limited media access, the GPA raised concern over the Speaker’s directive to block media houses from recording inside the Dome. Cameramen were informed upon arrival that they will be provided with a link from the Department of Public Information (DPI). Notably, the Press Association pointed out that this mechanism has proven unreliable, with frequent audio breaks and interruptions. “An online link cannot be considered a direct feed, as it does not provide continuous, unfiltered access to parliamentary proceedings,” the GPA argued.
It reminded that the role of the press is to ensure transparency, accountability, and accurate reporting of parliamentary business. As such, the GPA stated, “Restricting access and failing to provide proper technical facilities undermines the public’s right to be informed. We strongly condemn this edict from the Speaker and view it as a direct attack on freedom of the press, a hallmark of any democratic society.”
The GPA urged the Speaker to urgently review these measures and restore full access for the press, in keeping with democratic norms and the principles of open governance.
For his part, Nadir at the opening of the Sitting explained the need for strict security measures to be implemented and consideration of space utilization in the Dome.
The Speaker said, “The configuration of our National Assembly- this 13th Parliament is affected by two criteria- I should say configuration and seating.” He noted that on his left where there were previously three rows, there are now four while the government also occupies a larger portion of the seats in the House. Consequently, he explained, “So all we have left in the dome is the top two (rows) that have to accommodate the staff of the Ministries who support their ministers, the staff of the Parliament and also persons who have written to the Clerk and I, asking for access.”
To this end, he noted, “We want to be reinforcing that we pride ourselves on access and we will continue to provide access to the proceedings of the National Assembly.” At the same time, Nadir said there were “additional security issues” pointing to Canada where MPs are now outfitted with a panic button.
To this end, he noted that the construction of the security facilities at Public Buildings started and was completed in 2025, with scanners now acquired. “We are in a state of continuous monitoring and improving,” he asserted.
While the Speaker pointed to seating constraints in the Assembly, Kaieteur News observed several vacant seats in the Dome on Monday while reporters were refused entrance to cover the live debates.
In light of the new directive hindering media freedom, several journalists in and out of the profession chided the regulations. Additionally, the Speaker through his PR Officer, has also announced that only Department of Public Information cameras will be allowed into the Assembly and media houses will have to rely on whatever footage comes out from DPI. Note that for the electronic media, this means we will have to wait until the end of the livestream since DPI has NO system in place to provide any live feed to media teams on site.
With these sittings going on for hours, media houses could now be forced to wait for the end of the livestream at God knows what hour, before being allowed access to download the video for their newscasts. I don’t know where the Speaker gathers his media relations advice, but something has got to be wrong for such a backward step to be taken.
Initially, the media was told last week that the limitations for the budget presentation had to do with space availability since there would be many invitees. That has come and gone and so there is absolutely no reason for this limiting of media access to the 13th Parliament by this Speaker of the National Assembly. ~Kaieteur News~
