Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Roger Luncheon has instructed the United Nations Development Programme to cease financing the Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), officials told Demerara Waves.

 

The cease-order for funding takes effect from the end of July but up to yesterday the international organisation had not received any formal notification or advice to that effect from the Office of the President. Government is responsible for negotiating and approving the disbursement of international funding for government agencies.

 

 

Officials close to the donor community said officials in that circle were upset that government has effectively ordered the closure of the MMU, a watchdog agency that examined the extent to which the print and electronic media were abiding by the self-regulatory Code of Conduct.

 

Officials of the Guyana government and the international community have separately told Demerara Waves that monies allocated by the UNDP for the MMU could not be diverted to any other project.

 

It is unclear what would be done with the sophisticated equipment that have been purchased for the MMU.

 

Media Consultant, Tim Neal had recommended that the MMU remain open continuously after the 2006 general elections.

 

The MMU is widely recognized as a self-regulatory mechanism for the media by the United Nations, Organisation of American States and the Commonwealth.

 

The UNDP has been financing the operations of the MMU to the tune of US$2 million annually. The 11 staff members including six monitors will be put on the bread-line and paid one month's salary.