The Executive of the Guyana Press Association (GPA) on Thursday unanimously reaffirmed the names of the 110 members eligible to vote for office bearers would be made known on Sunday, May 14, 2023 at the General Members Meeting and Elections, by the Returning Officer, Attorney-at-Law Ronald Burch-Smith.
According to the body, in a release this is to preserve the confidentiality of those members who requested their membership remain confidential prior to the elections.
The entire process was discussed openly and frankly by the Executive and no concerns were raised about the integrity of the process.
Nazima Raghubir, incumbent president, recused herself from the meeting when names of eligible voting members were presented to the Executive by the Secretary of the GPA, Svetlana Abrams.
The body said eligible members shall be allowed to vote in accordance with the GPA’s Constitution for office-bearers to be elected by secret ballot, and every effort has been made to ensure the elections will be free, fair and transparent. A number of observers were also invited to view the Sunday’s process.
In addition to continuous registration, based on the now more than one-month old notice for the meeting, numerous media workers have completed their registration and updated their dues, it was advised. A membership drive was also conducted and direct visits to media houses were done as well as options for bank transfers and payment by mobile money.
The GPA’s elections were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant restrictions, but registration and renewal were always open throughout that period.
This election also has an unusual twist. The governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP), who is reportedly supporting presidential contender Neil Marks, has been canvassing for him, telephoning media workers and asking they vote for him, and enticing them with ‘gifts’ should they so do. Gordon Moseley journalist and owner of the online NewsSource forthrightly addressed the issue, stating:
“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 “𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗱” 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗔𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀!!!
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗣𝗔 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗜 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.“
