HGP Nightly News – A fresh political firestorm has ignited outside Parliament today, not over who will become Leader of the Opposition, but over who gets to witness the process firsthand. Journalists arriving at the Parliament Building on Monday were reportedly told, “no media in the compound,” as access was restricted ahead of the anticipated election of a Leader of the Opposition.
Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs confirmed that only the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN) will be permitted physical access to the parliamentary Chamber during the proceedings. Isaacs said the directive came directly from Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir.
Under the arrangement, other media houses will not be allowed into the Chamber and are expected instead to rely on a live feed controlled by NCN to cover what is expected to be a defining sitting for the 13th Parliament, which has operated for months without an Opposition Leader. The restriction has triggered immediate debate over transparency, media freedom, and editorial independence, particularly given the political significance of today’s meeting and the heightened public attention surrounding the Opposition Leader’s selection.
Efforts to obtain a public explanation from Speaker Nadir were unsuccessful up to press time. Multiple attempts to contact him for the reasoning behind the exclusion of private and independent media reportedly went unanswered.
Critics argue that the move effectively places full control of live audio and visuals of parliamentary proceedings in the hands of a government-owned broadcaster, while sidelining independent media from directly observing and reporting from inside the Chamber. Media practitioners also noted that Parliament has historically accommodated multiple media entities during nationally significant sittings, making the sudden limitation unusual and, to many, deeply concerning.
As the country awaits the outcome of today’s Opposition Leader vote, the controversy over restricted access has already cast a shadow over what should have been a major democratic milestone. Whether the decision will be reversed remains unclear, but for now, the question hanging over the day is blunt: why lock out the press at the very moment the public is demanding openness?
