Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) General Secretary, Lincoln Lewis, expressed concern regarding Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton’s failure to hold President Irfaan Ali accountable for disrespecting the Opposition, and only finding it useful during crises associated with the Venezuela/Guyana border controversy.
Lewis, who raised similar concerns in September 2023, argues that Norton’s recent actions, agreeing to meet with Ali without demanding clear conditions, have only emboldened the President and further sidelined the Opposition’s constitutional role.
Norton’s participation in a meeting last Saturday- March 1, 2025- to discuss the Venezuelan naval incursion into Guyana’s waters, following Ali’s briefing with foreign stakeholders, highlighted the growing irrelevance of the Opposition in national security matters, the veteran trade unionist asserts.
Writing in his column last Sunday, Lewis describes Norton’s involvement as redundant and insulting, reinforcing Ali’s disregard for the Opposition and the people it represents.
By meeting with Ali without demanding any accountability, Lewis argues that Norton is complicit in weakening his own position and allowing the Government to continue marginalising the Opposition. Norton’s failure to set clear conditions in this meeting shows Ali’s contempt for the Opposition and undermines the very people Norton is supposed to represent, Lewis argues.
Lewis also criticised the government for hypocrisy, pointing to the dismissal of the Opposition’s calls for electoral reforms and biometric voting systems, while simultaneously seeking Opposition support for defending Guyana’s borders. He believes the government treats the Opposition as a tactical necessity in security matters, but ignores its broader role in governance.
Lewis emphasised that both the Government and the Opposition have a shared responsibility not just to respond to external threats but also to protect and advance the rights of every citizen in an inclusive, participatory democracy. “Each group and individual in Guyana should have the opportunity to develop to his or her fullest potential and enjoy a fair share of the nation’s resources,” Lewis stated.
“The Government must do more than posture as the defenders of borders; it must actively engage in the well-being of its citizens.”
Further intensifying his warning, Lewis stressed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is not fooled by the ‘one-off’ meetings between Ali and Norton. He warned that the convenient meeting “is a slap in the face to every Guyanese citizen, especially as it plays directly into the hands of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, who is no doubt exploiting the growing divisions in our society.”
Lewis calls for an inclusive democracy, where both the Government and Opposition address national security and the needs of all citizens. He stresses that security should not come at the expense of citizens’ basic rights, including access to necessities and protection from inequality. The Government must engage in the well-being of its people, not just posture as defenders of borders, Lewis contends.
He also urged Norton to demand meaningful engagement with Ali, including addressing rising cost of living, marginalisation of groups, and the failure of governance. With Maduro likely using divisions in Guyana to his advantage, Lewis warns that Norton’s inaction is only strengthening Ali’s position and further alienating the people. To this end the veteran trade unionist urges Norton to stop enabling the government and start holding it accountable, ensuring the interests of all Guyanese are placed front and center in the national conversations and policy prescriptions.
