Nov 11, 2025
Editorial, News

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(Kaieteur News) – Last week in one of our columns we highlighted that President Irfaan Ali continues to avoid the one forum that truly tests leadership: an open press conference. Instead, he prefers the comfort of friendly newsrooms, where questions are predictable, tone is polite, and the narrative remains firmly under control.

The following day, his Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo was at it arguing that based on observations, some sections of the media, the judiciary, and the political opposition appear to have been financially enticed or coerced by the Mohameds.  He said: “We are watching the people who are going to not perform their duties because they are compromised…we are watching them carefully.” In fact, he highlighted that certain media entities would never press the Mohameds about their illegalities. Instead, they have glorified Azruddin Mohamed’s entry into the political arena, particularly his swearing in as an Opposition Member of Parliament.” At least Mr. Mohamed has subjected himself whenever possible to the entire media corps, but we have a president who hides from the press.

We observed last week Wednesday, the President chose a private media sit-down to announce a cash grant for fisherfolk and rice farmers, a policy decision involving billions in taxpayer dollars. Such an announcement, by any measure, deserves to be made from the official podium of the State, open to all media houses, where every reporter has an equal chance to ask tough, fair, and necessary questions. Instead, the President continues to govern by exclusive interviews and selective disclosures, leaving independent journalists and the wider public on the outside looking in.

This is not merely a matter of style. It is a question of transparency, accountability, and respect for the role of the press in a functioning democracy. The President has at his disposal the full communications machinery of the State—the Department of Public Information (DPI), the National Communications Network (NCN), and the media unit within his own Office. Yet, he repeatedly chooses to use state resources for image management rather than open engagement.

This trend is not new. Kaieteur News and other independent outlets have for years raised alarms about the government’s deliberate sidelining of critical media, its preferential treatment of friendly reporters, and its penchant for restricting information flow. The result has been a climate where access to information is treated as a political favour, not a democratic right.

In his first term, Dr. Ali promised to “reset relations” with the press, to move away from the hostility and opacity that marked earlier years of governance. Yet, the record shows the opposite. Reporters are often stonewalled by ministries, press statements are increasingly sanitiSed, and major government initiatives are unveiled through controlled, pre-taped interviews instead of live, open question-and-answer sessions.

President Ali’s communications strategy mirrors that of a leader uncomfortable with challenge. By handpicking the outlets that receive news first and by speaking primarily to those who will not push back, he effectively creates an echo chamber, a filtered reality where uncomfortable truths are kept at bay. But such an approach only erodes public trust. Leadership that cannot face tough questions is not leadership, it is stage management. There is an unmistakable irony here. Dr. Ali presides over one of the most transformative periods in Guyana’s modern history. The oil boom has catapulted the nation into global attention; billions are being spent on infrastructure, welfare programmes and regional investments. These are matters that cry out for openness, for a President who can speak frankly about policy choices, challenges, and risks. Instead, the public gets pre-scripted talking points delivered in friendly settings, while journalists outside the circle are left to chase statements, speculate on details, or depend on leaks. The issue goes beyond optics. It strikes at the heart of accountability in government. When the media is shut out, the people are shut out. When questions are controlled, scrutiny disappears. When scrutiny disappears, corruption thrives. This is why press freedom matters and why the President’s continued refusal to face the nation through regular, open press conferences is not a trivial matter, but a democratic deficit.

Guyana deserves better. The press corps deserves the respect of open engagement. And the people deserve to hear directly from their President not filtered through the lens of handpicked interviewers. The President pledged transparency at the commencement of his second term, but the old habits remain. Until Dr. Ali can stand before the press unfiltered, uncoached and unafraid the question will linger: what is he trying to avoid?

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