The Guyana Press Association (GPA) elections has just become more interesting as the race for its leadership heats up. Former GPA President and Newsroom Editor Neil Marks today announced his intention to challenge the incumbent president Nazima Raghubir in the upcoming elections. The announcement has generated a lot of buzz, with some expressing skepticism and derision for Marks while others, especially in the government media from which most of his support is expected are cheering him on.
Raghubir, who is seeking re-election, has the endorsement of influential media figures such as Gordon Moseley and Denis Chabrol. Meanwhile, Marks’ bid has been met with the suspicion that he is the government candidate, largely due to his aggressive and public pro-PPP stance during the 2020 elections controversy, which some say went beyond factual reporting. The publication for which he works is also known to be excessively supportive of the ruling PPP government of Guyana. However, Marks’ supporters point to his extensive experience in the field of journalism and his previous leadership of the GPA as reasons to support him.
Not everyone is convinced, however. In a short whatsapp exchange between Marks and a colleague which was shared with this publication, the former colleague of Marks accused him of being toxic towards them while they worked together at the Chronicle in 2015 and later at Newsroom. The colleague claimed that they were forced to resign from both organizations to escape Mark’s behavior. Marks responded by stating that, “I wish not to debate you on any those topics. I realise that I will not get everyone’s vote and I surely have not please everyone in this lifetime, both personally and professionally.” Despite these accusations, Marks remains undeterred in his bid for the GPA presidency. Interestingly, in 2018, Mark’s issued a resoundingly positive endorsement of Raghubir’s candidacy.
As the election draws closer, the race for the GPA leadership promises to be a fierce one. Although there are strong opinions on both sides and passionate advocates for each candidate, the prediction is that Nazima Raghubir will prevail allowing her to serve a second term as president. A member of the media who did not wish to be identified stated, ” one thing is clear: the future of Guyanese journalism is at stake, and the winner of this election will play a critical role in shaping it and for democracy’s sake, we hope that winner will be Nazima”
Click here to read Gordon Moseley’s endorsement of Nazima Raghubir
