…says media have full access to him

PRESIDENT David Granger has acknowledged that since he assumed office in May 2015, he has held only one press conference; however, the President made it clear that if the press corps is in need of one, it will be granted.

This announcement was made on Thursday by the Head-of-State during the recording of his weekly television programme, The Public Interest. This programme allows for two reporters — every week — to engage the President on matters of national importance.
However, with his last press conference being in 2015, the President was questioned about the likelihood of a next one and according to him, the purpose of the press conference is to meet with the Head-of-State to find out his thoughts on a variety of issues, and that is exactly what he has been doing despite no formal press conference.

“I have been doing that very faithfully,” President Granger said, adding that he is not sure that many Presidents, either of Guyana or in any other part of the world, engages the press as frequently as he does.
He said too, that he tries to make it as regularly as possible, since the function of his engagements is to provide information to the public, something the media has access to, through him. However, acknowledging that these engagements do attract fewer persons as opposed to a press conference, the Head-of-State suggested that it is not an indication that these engagements are “inferior.”

“I don’t have an objection to having a large press conference. I have a very busy schedule and it is difficult to spend a lot of time in the media, but I try to make it possible every week. But if that is the desire of the Guyana Press Association (GPA), then that could be arranged with my press team,” President Granger

“It does not mean that my engagement of one or two persons is inferior to my engagement of four or five persons or 10 or 20 persons. I am not going to fight it. If you want a ‘mass games’ I can have it, but the important thing now is that you have access to the Head-of-State and he will answer your questions. So there is nothing wrong with my meeting with you in this format,” he said.
Asked whether he was opposed to meeting members of the media, via a press conference, the President responded in the negative, stating that when the need arises, he does not mind engaging the entire press.

“I don’t have an objection to having a large press conference. I have a very busy schedule and it is difficult to spend a lot of time in the media, but I try to make it possible every week. But if that is the desire of the Guyana Press Association (GPA), then that could be arranged with my press team,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Press Department of the Ministry of the Presidency (MoTP),has committed to ensuring that the President continues to make media-engagement opportunities available. The MoTP said that the present channels through which President Granger and other ministers could be engaged by the media, include, but are not limited to, interview requests, whereby members of the media could submit a request for an interview with the President or any minister or authorised officer within the MoTP, through the Press and Publicity Unit.

However, the ministry pointed out that due to scheduling limitations, not all interviews would be granted; ministerial press conferences, where ministers within the MoTP are “empowered to engage the media” though press conferences on issues that fall within their portfolios; presidential press conferences, when the President holds press conferences to engage members of the media on major national issues, following major international engagements and as the need arises; recorded television interviews, whereby the President participates in a statutory television programme, The Public Interest, as regularly and consistently as possible; and other means, including engagements by the President and ministers, with the press, at public forums.