Georgetown, Guyana – The Forward Guyana Movement has condemned the exclusion of several accredited media houses from President Irfaan Ali’s first press conference since his re-election, describing the move as a troubling signal for press freedom in the country.
In a statement, the group said the decision to limit which journalists could attend and ask questions amounted to “hand-picking” the media, raising concerns about transparency and accountability from the highest office in the land.
“Only days ago, Reporters Without Borders called on the administration to reset and take concrete steps to improve press freedom. Yet instead of embracing that call, the Office of the President responded with exclusion and restriction,” the statement noted.
Forward Guyana warned that such actions suggest the government is increasingly unfazed by international scrutiny, placing greater responsibility on the Guyanese public to remain vigilant. “To control access, to limit questions, and to dictate which voices are heard is Dictatorship 101,” the group said, adding that the decision undermines both the media and citizens’ right to transparency.
The organisation urged the government to recommit to openness and fairness, not for the sake of foreign observers, but because “the Guyanese people deserve nothing less.”
