THE Independent Media Workers Association of Guyana (IMAG) has condemned in the strongest possible terms, public statements by A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU’s) Dr. Rupert Roopnarine in which he called for a boycott of Guyana Times and the state-owned Guyana Chronicle and the National Communications Network (NCN).

In a public statement, IMAG said, “Dr. Roopnarine’s call is a direct attack on press freedom and should not be condoned. Over the years we have fought extremely hard for a free press and should not allow anyone, including politicians like Rupert Roopnarine to reverse our gains.”
To this end, IMAG called for Dr. Roopnarine to withdraw his comments and issue an apology forthwith.
“Should he fail to do this, we urge the media to boycott APNU activities until such time an apology is issued,” IMAG said.
Speaking at an APNU rally last Friday at the Square of the Revolution, Roopnarine started off by urging attendees, “Do not buy the Chronicle or the Guyana Times; and when you see Channel 11 come on, change it.”
What was cause for alarm, however, was when he took things up a notch, saying: “Within a very short time, we will have to arrange a ceremony at the Square of the Revolution where we can make an enormous bonfire of the Chronicle and the Guyana Times.”
Additionally, there has also been no move by the Guyana Press Association (GPA) to address Dr. Roopnarine’s comment, in the same fashion as the association has moved to address other matters.