Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Manzoor Nadir, clarified on Monday that access for media to the National Assembly has increased, not decreased, during the Thirteenth Parliament, allowing more private media representatives inside the Chamber during sittings.
Speaking on the first day of the 2026 Budget debates, the Speaker explained that arrangements agreed to during the Twelfth Parliament allowed five accredited private media reporters and two camera operators into the Chamber under the supervision of the Guyana Press Association (GPA).
“That arrangement stood until the end of the Twelfth Parliament,” the Speaker noted.
However, with changes in how media houses now record proceedings, particularly through mobile devices, the Parliamentary Public Relations Department recommended an adjustment.
As a result, the two camera operator positions were converted into two additional reporter seats, bringing the total number of private media representatives allowed into the Chamber to seven.
“We have actually expanded from five to seven members of the private media,” the Speaker said, stressing that this adjustment reflects modern reporting practices and does not constitute a restriction.
He rejected claims circulating in sections of the media that access had been reduced, describing those assertions as “totally inaccurate”.
The Speaker further clarified that members of the state media are stationed outside the Chamber because all cameras used inside the dome are contracted by Parliament, consistent with practices in many legislatures worldwide.
Proceedings are recorded and distributed via an official parliamentary feed.
Addressing concerns about access to the public gallery, Speaker Nadir explained that seating configurations have changed due to the expansion of elected and non-elected Members of Parliament under the Thirteenth Parliament.
“What we have left in the Dome is the top two rows,” he explained, noting that these must now accommodate ministry staff, parliamentary staff, accredited media, and members of the public who formally request access.
As of Monday, Parliament had received more than 52 written requests for gallery access, Speaker Nadir said.
To manage space, some parliamentary staff have been assigned to monitor proceedings via video link from outside the Chamber.
Speaker Nadir also addressed incidents during previous sittings where visitors in the gallery were observed cheering, jeering, recording, and livestreaming, despite not being accredited media.
He reminded visitors that such behaviour is not permitted and urged Members of Parliament to formally notify the Clerk or the Speaker when inviting guests, to allow for orderly accommodation.
Additionally, the Speaker underscored that enhanced access protocols are closely linked to security concerns, noting that threats to MPs and parliamentary staff are real and global.
He pointed out that the construction of new security facilities at public buildings was completed in 2025, alongside the acquisition of scanners and stricter access controls at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
“These provisions started before my time, and we are now in an advanced state of making changes,” he said.
The Parliament Office has since issued a formal advisory outlining media accreditation, camera pool protocols, seating arrangements, and livestream access, reinforcing that parliamentary sittings are broadcast live on Parliament’s website and social media platforms, with full footage made available to all accredited media.