A petition demanding an international inquiry into the Guyana Police Force, backed by opposition lawmakers and over 80 citizens, was dismissed Monday by Speaker of the National Assembly, Mansoor Nadir, on procedural grounds — marking the second time in recent years the Speaker has rejected a formal submission from the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA).
Submitted through Opposition Member of Parliament Amanza Walton-Desir, the GHRA petition called for a sweeping investigation into police conduct following public outrage over the mishandled investigation into the death of 11-year-old Adrianna Younge on the West Coast of Demerara.
The petition reportedly garnered broad support over the weekend, but was sidelined by the Speaker, citing unspecified procedural shortcomings.
Critics say the dismissal reveals deeper resistance within Parliament to public accountability. The GHRA blasted the Speaker’s actions, accusing the governing Peoples’ Progressive Party (PPP) party of using “unnecessary bureaucratic procedures” to block democratic engagement and describing the rejection as a pattern — pointing to a similar 2021 petition on the Natural Resources Fund that was also set aside.
“The preference of the ruling party appears to be to remove and reduce such opportunities for civilised politics,” the GHRA said in a sharply worded statement. “Rather than encourage citizens to vent their grievances by this democratic procedure, the Speaker and the ruling party he represents appear to prefer social unrest on the streets.”
The current petition went beyond the GHRA’s initial call for the resignation of Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken and demanded international oversight, reflecting growing public distrust in domestic mechanisms for accountability. Though the petition will not be read in Parliament, the GHRA says it will continue to mobilise support, urging Guyanese at home and abroad to sign a digital version circulating on social media.
Walton-Desir and other opposition figures voiced their support for the petition and criticised what they describe as a systemic effort to suppress civil dissent.
As the movement gains momentum online, questions persist about the PPP Government and Parliament’s willingness to engage with grassroots concerns and whether public institutions are equipped, or willing, to confront deep-rooted failures in law enforcement.
