By Miranda La Rose
A recommendation that Guyana should enact Free-dom of Information (FOI) legislation within a clear timeframe and make efforts to implement it fully was among several made at the just concluded Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)-sponsored Parliament and media workshop.
This recommendation followed two sessions which dealt exclusively with FOI legislation and experiences of its implementation in other countries at the workshop which was held at the Grand Coastal Inn, Le Ressouvenir over the past four days.
The workshop also recommended that efforts should continue between Parliament and the media with a view to the development and establishment of a mutually beneficial professional rapport following presentations by the CPA resource team, questions and interventions from participants.
To reach the widest possible range and greatest possible number of the population, it was recommended that Parliament should facilitate the broadcast of its proceedings; and that the initiative by the Guyana Parliament to establish a communications and public education unit should be supported. To this end, it was suggested, that the dedicated parliament channel of Trinidad and Tobago, with its live television and radio broadcasts, packaged edited versions, as well as internet transmission of the deliberations of parliament should be studied.
It was also recommended that Parliament and the media should collaborate in an effort to broaden knowledge and understanding of Parliament’s role in decision-making, by making available opportunities for the training of journalists in the role and procedures of the parliamentary committee and its general operations. Non-partisan parliamentary commentators should be used to describe and explain the proceedings in Parliament to the public when possible; and consideration should be given to further developing and updating parliament’s current website. It was also proposed that courses of study about the role of Parliament should be introduced at all levels in the national school and university curricula and through appropriate outreach programmes and forums; and that Parliament should give further consideration to a more effective system of work study or internship attachments to Parliament through which university students could serve as research assistants, library assistants or at other appropriate positions in the Parliament Office.
In terms of informing young people about parliamentary work and procedures, it was recommended that the CPA and Common-wealth Youth Programme’s youth Parliament and similar programmes be supported.
The workshop also recommended that Parliament should provide adequate facilities for professional press and broadcast coverage of its proceedings and that the proposed guidelines for the coverage of parliament by the media should be reviewed.
The Guyana Press Asso-ciation (GPA) had previously rejected the recommendation for proposed guidelines. Its President Denis Chabrol in his presentation on ‘an overview of Freedom on Information’ on Friday said the association “objects very strongly to threats being made to legislate on the content of the media in and out of the chamber of the National Assembly.”
Chabrol said, “It appears as a stark contradiction that the issue of Freedom of Information Legislation is on the agenda of this workshop and at the same time, there are threats to legislate fairness and accuracy, limited use of observations in the galleries, instructions by the Speaker or his representative on the use of recorded excerpts; the placement of advertisements.”
The guidelines, which Chabrol spoke about, were done by Australian parliamentary expert James Pender and put to the Parliamentary Management Committee (PMC), comprised equally of government and opposition MPs. The PMC agreed to ask the media for support.
Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran at the opening of the seminar and in response to Chabrol reiterated that in Guyana “there is no body or written principles by which the media is guided.”
He had said that while some parties have voiced complaints about media coverage from time to time, neither the National Assembly nor the Speaker has found it necessary to intervene in any matter relating to the media.
Ramkarran said that due to a lack of support from the media to the Pender guidelines from the media they did not proceed with the idea and decided to wait for a more opportune time. He told the Stabroek News that the proposed guidelines were not a done deal but were up for discussion and the GPA should have some responses ready. The association, he said, did not get back to Parliament Office about the proposed guidelines.
However, he said at the workshop, “At some point in the future, as the work and business of the National Assembly expands, we will need a set of agreed principles and if the media would be unwilling to accept them at that time the inevitable consequence will be legislation. That time has not yet arrived,” he said.
The guidelines deemed controversial by the GPA and uncontroversial by the Speaker covered broadcasting National Assembly Chamber and Committee proceedings, filming, filming of parliamentary proceedings, general guidelines for press gallery members, and visitors and dress standards.
Among the general guidelines that appeared to have been offensive with the media was areas “off limits” to the press. This stated that “members of the press gallery may not linger in the corridors in the vicinity of the party rooms. In these areas, members of the press gallery may not seek to engage members in conversation. As a general rule, members of the press gallery wishing to speak with a member should make an appointment by telephone.”
Guidelines for camera operators in the chamber were also a source of contention. One of the guidelines said, “disturbances in the galleries are not to be covered.”
