Access to the Public Buildings
Access to the Public Buildings
The Public Buildings belong to all Guyanese; it is part of our national heritage and the centre of our democracy. Visitors are welcome, and are expected to cooperate with our security measures at all times.
Access to the Gallery
You can visit the public gallery of the Parliament Chamber in the Public Buildings at any time when the House is sitting. Please come to Parliament’s main entrance, check in with Security, and ask for directions to the public gallery. The public gallery opens 30 minutes before each sitting.
Please note a visit to the public gallery is not part of a standard guided tour of Parliament.
• Only accredited members of the press may sit in the press gallery.
• Official guest of members of Parliament have preference for seating in the Public Gallery.
To ensure that Parliament remains accessible to the public we have implemented some simple security guidelines. Please take note of them before and during your visit.
• Searches, similar to those used in airports, will be conducted on entry.
• Mobile phones must be turned off.
• Cameras cannot be used, except by accredited Media personnel.
Dress code in the Chamber and while conducting official business
Visitors’ to the public gallery must dress in a manner which will not detract from the respect for the dignity of Parliament and must comply with the general standards of dress for Members of Parliament. In particular:
• Do not wear revealing, brightly coloured and/or denim-material clothing;
• Do not wear Jerseys/tee shirts, short pants, track pants, sandals and slippers;
• Do not engage in conversations while the Clerk of the National Assembly is reading the prayers;
• Do not engage in loud conversations when the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Clerk of the National or any other Member of Parliament is speaking;
• Do not seek to engage or speak to Members of Parliament;
• Do not use mobile phones; and
• Do not heckle, laugh loudly or cheer during or after a Member’s speech;
As far as possible, try to restrict your movements while Members are speaking.
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Access for guided tours
It is possible on some days for groups to tour the Public Buildings and receive a brief orientation on the history of the Parliament as well as the work of the Parliament. It is imperative that these sessions are pre-arranged in order to ensure that there is no conflict with the schedule of the Parliament. Here are the general rules for visits to the Parliament Chamber.
1. Persons interested in visiting the Public Buildings are asked to contact the Public Relations Officer, Ms. Onieka Alphonso-Walton, on Tele No. 226-8457 or via email onieka.walton@parliament.gov.gy or proparliament@gmail.com.
2. Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 01:30 pm to 03:30 pm are the days and times scheduled for visits to the Parliament Chamber on non-meeting days. Please note that these days are subject to change in the event that there is a sitting of the National Assembly.
3. A maximum of 80 students, accompanied by teachers, are allowed at any one time on non-meeting days.
4. On meeting days a maximum of thirty students, accompanied by two or three teachers, are allowed at any one sitting of the National Assembly, and students are to be seated at least fifteen (15) minutes before the start of the sitting.
5. There is to be no eating or drinking in the Chamber at anytime.
6. Persons visiting Parliament are kindly asked to dress appropriately.
N.B. Visits to the Parliament Chamber are privileges extended by the Clerk on behalf of the Speaker of the National Assembly. These privileges can be curtailed at anytime if the above-mentioned rules are not strictly adhered to.
Disabled access
If you need special help to enjoy your visit to Parliament because of a disability, please let us know. We’re here to help you.
Please note in particular:
• Disabled visitors to Parliament may be set down on the forecourt to Parliament House.
Observe a select committee hearing
The Public is advised to consult the select committee meeting schedule to find out when select committees are hearing evidence in public. The schedule shows which committees are due to meet in the coming week and which meetings are open to the public. (This information is subject to change at short notice.)
Parking
There is no parking in Parliament grounds, but disabled visitors may be set down on the forecourt.
Barricades on Sitting Days
Though cognizant of the inconvenience that the barricades cause on sitting days, it would be a failure on the part of the National Assembly if it were not to take the necessary measures to ensure the safety of its members. The Guyana Police Force, following consultations with the Parliamentary Management Committee, has designed a structure of erecting barricades in the immediate environs of the Public Buildings to ensure the members are secured on sitting days.
