Dear Editor,
On Friday, May 16, 2025, the National Assembly convened, and during that sitting, several documents were tabled, including the first Financial Paper for 2025 seeking an additional $57.492 billion, as well as a bill proposing amendments to the Representation of the People Act (ROPA). I wish to provide a brief analysis of both documents.
Editor, you may recall that on February 3, 2025, the National Budget, totaling $1.138 trillion; was approved. Now, just three months later, the Government is back in the National Assembly requesting supplementary funds for multiple ministries. Notably, $46.475 billion (approximately 75% of the supplementary funds) is being allocated to the Ministry of Housing alone.
This Twelfth Parliament has been effectively hijacked by the PPP/C, enabled by their slim one-seat majority. Proposals or motions brought forward by the Opposition are routinely dismissed, downplayed, or outright ignored. The Assembly meets irregularly, and responses to questions tabled by Opposition members often take two to three months, by which time, the urgency and relevance of the issues may have passed. Alarmingly, the Assembly only seems to convene when the Government wishes to rush legislation or seek access to additional funds through supplementary appropriations.
My concern with this Supplementary Financial Paper is the lack of detail provided in the remark’s legend. Even more troubling is the pattern we have observed during the consideration of such papers, scheduled for Friday, May 23, 2025; where the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Manzoor Nadir, consistently limits opportunities for robust scrutiny.
The Speaker routinely blocks questions related to the already approved $1.138 trillion, preventing the Opposition from examining how taxpayers’ money was spent between February and April 2025. In the interest of transparency and accountability, I urge the Speaker to remove his political bias and allow full scrutiny of both the approved and supplementary sums.
Turning now to the proposed amendment to the Representation of the People Act (ROPA), the Government is seeking to replace the word “shall” with “may” in Section 33C (1) of the Principal Act. For context and clarity, the current law states:
“Where there is an interval of more than three months, but not exceeding six months, after the qualifying date with reference to which the official list of electors, or the non-resident electors roll is prepared under section 33A(1) and the day appointed for the next election after that date, the Commissioner shall cause the official list of electors and non-resident electors roll to be revised, in accordance with procedure established by the Commission by regulation.”
The proposed change from “shall” to “may” gives the Commission discretion rather than a mandate, raising legitimate concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. This amendment appears to be yet another attempt by the Government to manipulate electoral laws to their advantage, potentially disenfranchising eligible voters whose names are already on the official list of electors.
This bill is scheduled for debate on Friday, May 23, 2025, and should be of serious concern to all Guyanese. It must be rejected. While the Opposition continues to advocate for a clean voters list and biometric voting, neither GECOM nor the Government seems willing to act. Instead, they persist in manipulating systems and legislation in their favour. It is time for civil society and all Guyanese to demand meaningful reforms and resist these maneuvers.
In conclusion, I urge all Guyanese to remain vigilant. The decisions we make on Election Day must go beyond our personal interests; they must safeguard our democracy for future generations. They must also speak to justice for Adriana’s family and all families who have lost loved ones at the hands of the state without accountability.
Can we, do it? Yes, we can! Let’s protect our nation.
Yours truly,
Annette Ferguson, MP
