Coalition partners apologise over mistreatment of media at press conference

One day after the Guyana Press Association (GPA) had blasted the coalition Government for condoning disrespect meted out to media workers at a joint press conference hosted by the APNU and AFC factions of Government, the Government has issued an apology to the GPA.
The media was invited to this joint press conference, held at Congress Place, Sophia on Friday; but much to the media’s surprise, party supporters were at the briefing. As questions were being asked of the parties’ leaders, members of the media corps were heckled by those supporters.
Media workers were boldly asked by the parties’ supporters, “What stupid questions are you asking?”, and in some cases, they were even asked if those were even questions. All the while, Government officials, inclusive of Acting President Moses Nagamootoo; Acting Prime Minister Carl Greenidge; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Social Protection Minister Amna Ally, and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, sat quietly and condoned the disruptive behaviour of their supporters.
However, the GPA did not mince words with the Government on Friday following the incident, but frontally reminded the Government that media workers have the right to conduct their duties without fear of intimidation. The GPA noted that it would not hesitate to call on media workers and media houses to boycott press events if this “unacceptable behaviour continues.”
On Saturday morning, the APNU issued a statement apologising to the media. In its statement, the party said that it “wishes to express its apologies for the discomfort caused during the recent press conference.”
It added, “As a political partnership and coalition partner of the Government, the APNU does not condone nor endorse any conduct that serves to intimidate and hinder duties of media workers,” while saying that it values the work of the media.
However, this is a far cry from what occurred at Congress Place on Friday. The party, nevertheless, committed that it “endeavours” to ensure that such instances do not recur at future press conferences.