Opposition Leader David Granger yesterday said that A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) nominated someone who is going to “look after the public’s interest” to the governing board of the Guyana National Broad-casting Authority (GNBA) and that he could not speak to the “competence” of the other members of the authority.
Concerns have been raised that the authority is almost wholly composed of persons with links to the government but when contacted yesterday Granger would only say that APNU’s nominee is competent and he could not comment on the others -one of whom is a former government minister.
“APNU nominated someone who is going to look after the public’s interest,” Granger told this newspaper in a brief invited comment.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, on Wednesday announced that the government has approved the appointment of the governing board of the GNBA. The body will be headed by former Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Bibi Shadick and the other members are Margo Boyce, Gerry Gouveia, Norman McLean, Dr Dindial Permaul, Charles Ramson Jr and the lone opposition nominee Sherwood Lowe.
On Saturday, AFC’s Chairman Nigel Hughes said that it is time the opposition move to amend the Broadcast Act. Echoing comments by veteran broadcaster Enrico Woolford with regard to the expertise of persons appointed to the board, Hughes said: “I have not found any area in which the persons who were identified have the requisite requirements to administer broadcasting.”
Hughes said it is “unfortunate” that Shadick, whom he noted is a former government minister and who has no experience in broadcasting, was appointed chairperson. “It certainly is not in the best interest of the country,” the AFC chairman emphasised, adding that it is time that the opposition amends the existing law.
The Broadcast Act was passed in July 2011, without the support of the PNCR, the main opposition party at the time. It envisages the establishment of the National Broadcasting Authority, with a Governing Board that will comprise not less than four and not more than seven persons, one of whom shall be its Chairperson.
The AFC had supported the Bill with the then party chairman and now leader Khemraj Ramjattan saying that it was 95 per cent similar to the piece of legislation he had brought to the House in 2010. Questioned on whether the party’s position had changed, Hughes said: “We certainly believe that the [Act] as it exists clearly does not allow for balanced participation in the composition of the board as evident in the appointments.”
