GPA chides VP Jagdeo’s attack on Association

May 20, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Press Association (GPA) on Friday chided Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo for statements he made during his last press conference on Thursday which attacked the Association.

The GPA, in denouncing all forms of intimidation and attacks on the media, in a statement said that it has always been a membership body that campaigns on behalf of journalists and media workers in the country.

The press association called on President Mohamed Irfaan Ali to stay true to his government’s commitment to the Media Freedom Coalition.

President of the Guyana Press Association (GPA), Nazima Raghubir

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

According to the statement, the Vice President has been using his press conferences as opportunities to forge ahead with his government’s campaign to discredit the GPA.

The GPA responded to Jagdeo by addressing several issues. Speaking about the delayed elections, the GPA explained that prior to the May 14, 2023 elections, the GPA previously held election for office bearers on January 7, 2018.

The elections was scheduled to be held since 2020, however, the GPA explained that the delayed elections was as a result of a protracted delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the protracted 2020 general elections process that affected many facets of national life.

As it relates to the issue of registration for GPA membership, the Association said, “It is typical for Mr. Jagdeo to side-step all information available to him and to use selectively information he feels will discredit an individual and/or organisation. Mr. Jagdeo’s disinformation campaign conveniently failed to acknowledge that GPA’s Business Registration was first done in the name of Neil Marks since 2015 following an executive decision.”

The GPA questioned if there is a reason the VP is omitting that publicly stated fact in his “unvarnished preferential attack.”

The GPA said that its records show that significant progress had been made prior to the GPA’s elections this month to regularise its systems.

In relation to the comments about the eligibility of the recently re-elected President of the GPA, Ms. Nazima Raghubir – it was stated that the Association sought legal advice on whether Ms. Raghubir could have legitimately contested the position for President, having regard to the fact that she was elected in 2018 and remained in office until 2023 due to the pandemic and the 2020 general election fiasco. That advice essentially stated that she was elected once and her term ended at the next election, notwithstanding the delayed elections.

In conclusion, the GPA said the government, through VP Jagdeo, has signaled its intention to continue its attack on the GPA and the free press. As such, the GPA said it will continue to engage all, including the government in the interest of its members and freedom of the press.

Further, it was said, “Coming from Mr. Jagdeo who banned a journalist from covering his assignments at State House and Office of the President, withholding government advertisements from Stabroek News and suspending CNS TV ‘Sharma’ television station, Guyanese generally and the media in particular, including those aligned to his party and government, cast severe doubt on his sincerity about press freedom.”

Additionally, the Association explained that the success of numerical democracy is augmented by tolerance and good governance, clarifying that the work being done by the GPA is a broad-based representation.

• Bharrat Jagdeo, Elections, GPA, Nazima Raghubir, PPP