Senior Counsel and Member of Parliament Roysdale Forde has accused the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government of presiding over what he describes as a “growing culture of double standards” in the application of the law, particularly in matters involving public expression and political criticism.
In a strongly worded public statement, Forde pointed to what he believes is clear evidence of unequal treatment by state institutions, singling out the government’s ongoing association with controversial social media figure Mikhail Rodrigues, widely known as “The Guyanese Critic.”
According to Forde, Rodrigues has been allowed to engage in “profane rants, doxxing, verbal harassment, and character assassination” without consequence, despite widespread public concern over his online behaviour.
The Senior Counsel contends that Rodrigues, far from being sanctioned, has been legitimised by the government through access to senior officials, state events, and what Forde alleges is the use of Rodrigues as a political proxy to attack critics and opponents of the PPP/C.
“This man is neither a commentator nor a journalist. Frankly, he is a menace,” Forde stated. “Instead of curbing this indecent descent into digital thuggery, the PPP/C government has given him legitimacy.”
Forde also questioned the silence of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), which he said has failed to address Rodrigues’ behaviour despite a mandate to promote harmony and monitor conduct that undermines public order. He contrasted this with the recent treatment of local artist “Baby Skello,” who was arrested and remanded to prison following a brief reference to a religious figure in a freestyle video.
“Within days, the ERC swooped in… not fined, not warned. Remanded,” Forde noted, referring to the swift action taken against Skello. He described the response as “gross overreach” and claimed it violates Article 146 of Guyana’s Constitution, which protects freedom of expression.
“This sends a chilling message to all artists, creators, and thinkers: toe the line, or face the PPP/C’s wrath,” Forde said.
He further criticised the lack of response from both the government and the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) following a recent online attack by Rodrigues targeting Education Minister Priya Manickchand, calling the silence “telling.”
“Is this the society we want to live in?” Forde asked. “Where political puppets are free to abuse others with state blessings, while everyday citizens are imprisoned for expressing themselves?”
Forde urged the ERC to demonstrate its independence by acting without political bias and called on the Guyanese public to speak out against what he views as the erosion of democratic principles and legal fairness.
“This is not just about ‘Critic’ or ‘Skello,’” he said. “This is about the kind of country we are becoming. This is about the weaponisation of the law and the death of accountability.”
Quoting German theologian Martin Niemöller’s famous warning against silence in the face of oppression, Forde closed with a call to immediate action: “I urge all law-abiding citizens to speak up—now. Not tomorrow. Now.”
The government has not issued a formal response to the statements made by Forde at the time of publication
