by Nicole Telford
Parliamentarian Amanza Walton-Desir has emphasized the need for a structured approach to addressing Guyana’s labor force challenges. “The labor markets are strained, and yes, we do need people, but it has to come within a particular framework,” she stated. “The Government of Guyana is unfortunately lazy.”
These remarks were made during a conversation with renowned journalist Enrico Woolford on his program Context. Walton-Desir, an Opposition APNU/AFC Member of Parliament, highlighted the role that Guyana’s Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Relations could play in addressing the issue.
“This is something we can work on as a committee and bring to the people of Guyana because, of course, the assumption is we want what is in the best interest of Guyanese,” she said.
Bemoaning the lack of functionality in Parliament and its committees, Walton-Desir criticized the government’s approach. She pointed to the American system of Congress and the parliamentary practices of Guyana’s Caribbean counterparts as examples of rigorous oversight. “The depth with which issues are dealt with and the way in which they scrutinize sectors—we don’t do that here, so it makes a mockery of the entire parliamentary system,” she argued.
According to Walton-Desir, the Foreign Relations Sectoral Committee could play a crucial role in crafting policies and a legal framework that balances competing interests while preserving advantages for Guyanese citizens.
Walton-Desir has previously faced criticism and accusations of racism from PPP-aligned supporters, news outlets, and commentators for using the term “lazy” in a prior interview. During an appearance on KAMSTV, she had described supporters of the PPP/C as “mentally lazy.”
In response to the backlash, Walton-Desir defended her remarks. “The interpretation that the PPP/C and their sycophant surrogates placed on my words confirms that they are content to continue the ruinous racist rhetoric that has plagued Guyana since her independence and one which continues to arrest her development. Their propaganda machinery has been put into overdrive to paint me as a racist,” she asserted.
