–Defends President Ali’s commitment to press freedom

Director of Public Information, Edward Layne, called out the Guyana Press Association (GPA) for what he described as “inaccurate and untruthful claims” regarding President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s treatment of journalist Travis Chase.

In a statement issued on Monday, Layne dismissed the GPA’s call for condemnation of the President’s handling of Chase, calling it “politically motivated bullying” by the Association’s leadership.

He argued that Chase, a self-described journalist, consistently fails to observe basic journalistic ethics and instead engages in confrontational and inflammatory behaviour toward the Head of State, particularly on social media.

“By any measure, Mr. Chase’s practices in the media are at once symptomatic and symbolic of a deep, or even pathological, disregard for the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration,” Layne stated.

The DPI Director accused the GPA of defending Chase out of partisan bias, contending that the Association itself is “one of the most undemocratic, unbalanced, and congenitally biased organisations in Guyana.” He added that its advocacy for Chase “must not be taken seriously.”

Layne reaffirmed President Ali’s commitment to protecting freedom of expression in Guyana, but stressed that such freedoms must be exercised within the boundaries of professionalism and the rule of law.

“The expectations of ethical professional conduct must also follow the rule of law,” Layne said, while reaffirming that the government would continue to defend free speech in all its forms and modalities.