BBC World Questions taping in Guyana postponed

The BBC World Service has taken what it says is a “difficult decision” to postpone the upcoming recording of its ‘World Questions: Guyana’ edition in Georgetown.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, the programme which was due to record in Georgetown on Tuesday 6 May, will be re-scheduled for a later date,” Head of Communications, International News at BBC, Robin Miller, said in a brief statement on Friday.
Recording from the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown, the BBC World Questions was slated to tape a programme before a live audience in the country’s capital, Georgetown, to debate the country’s political and economic future.
The hour-long BBC World Service programme, which puts people and their questions at the heart of the debate, would have featured leading politicians, journalists and civil society activists, as well as take questions from the public audience.
Presented by the BBC Correspondent, Jonny Dymond, the panellists for the programme included Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister, Gail Teixeira; Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton; Businesswoman and civil society activist, Ayodele Dalgety Dean, and Editor-in-Chief of the Stabroek News, Anand Persaud.
While the Guyana Government had welcomed the BBC’s interest in engaging with the Guyanese public and exploring the democratic and developmental issues facing the country, it raised strong objections to the current composition of the panel.
In a correspondence, which was seen by this publication, sent to the Series Producer, Helen Towner, Public Affairs Minister, Kwame McCoy, expressed disappointment over the selected panellists, whom he said do not reflect a fair or balanced cross-section of Guyanese perspectives.
According to the Minister, both Ms Dean and Mr Persaud are known to espouse positions that are overtly critical of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government, and who, despite not being formally aligned with the political opposition, have publicly demonstrated strong anti-Government sentiments.
This coupled with the inclusion of the Opposition Leader further compounds the imbalance.
“The panel, as currently constituted, is disproportionately skewed in favour of opposition and dissenting voices, while placing the Government at a numerical and ideological disadvantage.”
“We do not believe this reflects the BBC’s stated commitment to fairness, impartiality, and balanced debate. Nor do we believe this adequately represents the diverse and nuanced perspectives of the Guyanese people,” the correspondence detailed.
McCoy further contended that the panel as proposed, risks projecting distorted narrative of the political and social landscape in Guyana, rather than providing an equal platform for genuine dialogue.
“We understand that the BBC may have relied on information provided by local representatives or advisors,” the Minister noted.
“However, in the interest of journalistic integrity and in keeping with the high standards of the BBC World Service, we strongly urge you to reconsider the panel’s composition. It is essential that the programme presents an accurate, balanced and fact-based discussion on matters affecting the people of Guyana.”
According to McCoy, Government is willing to collaborate with the BBC to ensure that World Questions is a success and a model for meaningful public discourse, but added that such success hinges on fair representation and an equitable platform.