A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has sharply criticised President Irfaan Ali’s newly appointed cabinet, describing it as a continuation of “under-performance, incompetence, and corruption” by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration.
In a strongly worded press statement released on Sunday, APNU said the appointment of 25 ministers—including 18 returning from the previous cabinet—proves the PPP is “comfortable” with its record and has no intention of implementing the promised cabinet shake-up or performance-based appointments.
“Eighteen (18) ministers from the previous cabinet have returned when all should have been fired and replaced. Where is the promised cabinet shakeup? Where is the campaign promise to base selection on performance?” the statement questioned.
The opposition singled out several ministers for criticism, including Priya Manickchand, Sonia Parag, and Oneidge Walrond, arguing that their reassignment to different ministries amounts to “a pointless exercise” that will not improve governance outcomes.
“They will continue to blunder and flop,” APNU stated, adding that “switching inept ministers… from one ministry to another” is ineffective.
Further condemnation was reserved for the appointment of former ministers Robeson Benn and Joe Hamilton as Presidential Advisors, which APNU described as “a ploy to provide them a lavish retirement package which they do not deserve.”
The coalition also criticised the promotion of Deodat Indar to the newly created post of Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation. Indar previously served as Minister within the Ministry of Public Works and was widely criticised by the opposition for failing to resolve Guyana’s persistent power outage problems.
“This is the same minister who has failed miserably to fix the blackout problem in Guyana, causing the Guyanese people much frustration and costing the national treasury tens of billions of dollars in financial waste. Instead of dismissing him, Mr. Indar has now been put in a position to wreak more havoc on households and on the economy.”
According to APNU, the expanded cabinet is not aimed at improving governance, but rather reflects “the PPP doling out political patronage, resulting in more square pegs in round holes.”
“With this cabinet, the PPP is shamelessly indicating that nothing will change,” the party charged. “There will still be no innovative or transformative ideas… no people-centred approach to policymaking… Friends, families and favorites will still be rewarded at the expense of ordinary Guyanese.”
Despite the criticism, APNU pledged to continue serving as a watchdog and advocate for the people.
“We in the APNU Coalition will remain on the forefront in exposing every failure of this government. We will continue to stand up for workers… for families and communities… for those who struggle to make a daily living,” the statement concluded.
President Ali swore in his new cabinet on Saturday evening, describing it as a blend of youth and experience. However, the opposition’s reaction underscores the deep political divide over the direction of governance in the 2025–2030 period.
