Social commentator GHK Lall has sharply criticised President Irfaan Ali and the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) over the President’s decision to walk out of a diplomatic event last week, describing the act as petty, damaging to the presidency, and unbecoming of the office.
In an op-ed titled “Walkout Weaponised by the President — For What Gain?”, Lall questioned the judgement of President Ali and his ministers, particularly in the context of the impending departure of British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller. Lall wrote that the President’s action amounted to “a rough, abrupt farewell,” adding, “Some things are just not done.”
The incident occurred last week as Azruddin Mohamed, leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, entered the gathering. Lall argued that the walkout, triggered by Mohamed’s presence, reflected poorly on the President and the PPP, which he described as operating out of “spite” and taking “the low road,” despite holding the upper hand politically.
Reflecting on President Ali’s time in office, Lall said he had expected growth and maturity. “I thought that after five and a half years, Pres. Ali would have learned, grown, risen. He loses luster, makes himself look small,” Lall wrote, arguing that the incident amounted to “another assault on the presidency.”
These men were once close allies, and Mohamed’s family even loaned one of their vehicles for Ali’s use shortly after he was sworn in as President in August 2020. The long‑standing relationship has since soured amid political and legal disputes, including Mohamed’s emergence as a presidential contender and subsequent clashes with the government.
Lall placing the episode in historical context, recalled that political walkouts were once a common tactic used by the PPP when it was in opposition during the era of Forbes Burnham. He said those walkouts, led by Cheddi Jagan, were acts of protest carried out under duress and with dignity. “The PPP on the move; frustrated, angry, bitter. But always with head held high,” Lall wrote, adding that despite hardship, “they never stooped low. They had the might of right on their side.”
By contrast, Lall argued that the PPP today holds power but lacks moral authority. According to Lall, the current leadership’s behaviour sends the wrong message both domestically and internationally, particularly in diplomatic settings. He suggested that High Commissioner Miller would leave Guyana with an unfortunate final impression, writing that she must long “to wipe the dust of this incorrigible land from off her feet.”
The commentator stressed that while citizens and political opponents may walk out on a president to signal disagreement, a president is held to a higher standard. “No president should walkout of a diplomatic gathering; especially when so much is owed to that plenipotentiary and her country,” he wrote, describing the act as “not only petty” but “puerile.”
Lall concluded by recalling President Ali’s first inaugural address, in which the President quoted Rudyard Kipling on leadership and restraint. “So easy to quote, so hard to wear that coat-of-arms,” Lall wrote, suggesting that the President had fallen short of the ideals he once invoked.
