Dear Editor,
Newspaper columnist Mr Freddie Kissoon erred in his May 21, 2025 column titled ‘The silence over the atrocities of anti-government minds’ when he stated: “So Ms. [Nazima] Raghubir is now in her fifth year as president which is constitutionally not possible.”
The fact is, she is in her 8th year as President of the Guyana Press Association (GPA), despite only being elected twice to serve four years. Permit me to explain.
Ms Raghubir was first elected on January 7, 2018, and should have vacated office or sought re-election on January 6, 2020 in keeping with the two-year Constitutional limit on the Presidency.
However, her Management Council did not hold elections until May 14, 2023 – more than three years after the constitutional deadline. So, in her first term, she served as President for five years and four months, despite the Constitutional limit of two years.
Having been re-elected in a disputed election on May 13, 2023, Ms Raghubir and her Management Council have again failed to call election within the Constitutional deadline which was last week.
So, she is, in fact, into her 8th year as President despite only being elected twice to serve for four years in keeping with the GPA’s Constitution.
Another violation of the GPA’s Constitution under the current President was the election of Ms Iva Wharton and Ms Ariana Gordon – both of whom were not constitutionally qualified for full membership – to the Management Council. Despite not being qualified for full membership, these two individuals were not only allowed to vote, but were ‘elected’ to the Management Council.
Editor, Mr Kissoon raises an important point in his column about holding all state actors accountable in society.
Just recently, the GPA released a convoluted epistle which assailed and rebuked President Irfaan Ali for merely suggesting that the evolution of the media and the impact of AI on journalism need to be academically studied. The same GPA that continues to parade itself as a watchdog and protector of The Fourth Estate, even as it continues to flagrantly violate its own Constitution with impunity.
Yours faithfully,
Ravin Singh
