SOCIAL media commentator, Mikhail Rodrigues, who is well-known as the ‘Guyanese Critic’, has taken legal action against the Guyana Press Association (GPA) in an attempt to halt Sunday’s elections until his membership application is processed.

Rodrigues has filed a Fixed Date Application (FDA) against the GPA’s four remaining executive members: Nazima Raghubir, Denis Chabrol, Svetlana Marshall, and Rawle Toney. Ordinarily, there is a nine-member Executive Council.

He has also filed a motion for an urgent hearing of his FDA, seeking an injunction against the elections if his application is not processed first.

The GPA represents media workers in Guyana, and Rodrigues is keen to become a member of the association. At the elections, office-bearers will be elected to serve for the next two years.
Rodrigues argues that his application for membership was rejected on arbitrary grounds, including the fact that he applied for membership before an upcoming election of the next council which is scheduled for Sunday, May 14.

He claims that the council’s decision to reject his application for membership is contrary to the criteria established by the GPA’s Constitution and has adversely affected his interest and reputation as a journalist.

“In and around May 2023, I applied for membership in the Guyana Press Association. My application was rejected on arbitrary grounds inter alia that I have applied for membership before an upcoming election of the next council scheduled for May 14.

“The position of the council in its determination to reject my application for membership contrary to the criteria established by its Constitution has adversely affected my interest and reputation as a journalist as the association’s disposition in the lack of endorsement may cause hardships,” Rodrigues said in his court documents.

As per Rodrigues’ court documents, the GPA has demonstrated an unreasonable, irregular, and improper exercise of discretion contrary to the constitution of the association.

Rodrigues asserts that the GPA’s refusal to accept his membership application is arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable, which is contrary to the Constitution of the GPA and the principle of fairness and natural justice.

Moreover, he claims he has suffered financial losses due to the GPA’s actions.

Rodrigues indicated that he is gainfully employed as the owner of “They Break News Inc.” and the owner of 135 King Edward Street, Albouystown, with an approximate value of $50 million. He believes he will be able to abide by any undertaking as it relates to damages.

In light of these circumstances, Rodrigues has filed the FDA seeking an order from the court for the GPA to process his membership application. Additionally, he is seeking an order against the GPA from holding any election of officers without first processing his application.

The current President of the GPA, veteran journalist Nazima Raghubir, is seeking re-election and will go up against another long-serving journalist, Neil Marks. It remains to be seen what impact Rodrigues’ legal action will have on GPA’s election process.

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, has accused the GPA of making orchestrated attempts to influence international bodies and their reports by continuing to criticise the PPP/C government.

He also suggested that the GPA President’s accusations of media intimidation were a political ploy ahead of the GPA elections.

“It is to make some of the journalists feel that if they vote for a different person in there, that they are part of some government plot. It is like trying to shame the journalists or the members of the press association into voting for status quo. So, I believe that this is part of the campaign. I would urge Nazima Raghubir not to use the PPP/C as her campaign. We don’t want to be part of your internal campaigning,” he said while speaking at a press conference on Thursday.

Dr Jagdeo emphasised that while the PPP/C government supports freedom of the press, it believes that the GPA’s criticism is an attempt to campaign against the current administration.

He noted that Guyana has made significant progress in terms of press freedom compared to the past and that the government will continue to defend the rights of the media.

However, Dr Jagdeo criticised the World Press Freedom Index for ranking Guyana 26 spots lower and suggested that the report was bias and influenced by politically-aligned media practitioners. He also mentioned that the report did not include condemnation of the attacks on journalist Davina Bagot, which the administration had unreservedly denied.

Dr Jagdeo urged the GPA not to use the PPP/C as part of its internal campaign and instead focus on the issues at hand.