𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐧: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐭𝐲.

Dear Editor

The Ali administration’s consistent exclusion of the Opposition from national and international fora is more than a mere breach of parliamentary decorum; it is a profound betrayal of the democratic mandate. 

𝗧𝗵𝗲 “𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝘂𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗮” 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗮𝗻, 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆, 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝘀: 

𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄, 𝗱𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀.

𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝘃𝘀. 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆

The decision to actively sideline the Leader of the Opposition (LOO) regarding the imminent ICJ proceedings is an act of political cowardice that undermines our national sovereignty. A President holds office to serve the entire citizenry, not just a partisan clique    To deliberately omit the primary representative of nearly half the nation from matters of territorial integrity is an unpatriotic act that signals a total abandonment of the bipartisan consensus required for a sovereign fight of this magnitude.

By treating the existential question of the Essequibo County as a private government project, both the President and the Attorney General are demonstrating a level of narrow-mindedness entirely unbecoming of their high offices. 

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:

• A Fractured Front: The government is signaling to the world—and to the aggressor—that Guyana is divided at the highest levels.
• Democratic Malpractice: They act as if they own the sovereign interest of this country, forgetting they are merely temporary tenants in the halls of power.
• The Insecurity of Power: If the administration is so confident in its legal position, why is it so terrified of a united front?

𝗔 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

The bypass of the Opposition in the run-up to the May 4 ICJ hearings is a chilling reminder of this government’s “partisan iron curtain.” The defense of our borders transcends political lines, yet it has been reduced to a narrow, guarded exercise of power. This is an abomination of major proportions. If the government cannot manage the optics or the substance of national unity at home, they have no business preaching it to the international community.  𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲—𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲.

“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼.”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟱𝟵𝟮 𝗚𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻’𝘀 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁

The mask has finally slipped. The current administration’s reliance on exclusionary tactics reveals a deep-seated insecurity and an inability to operate as anything other than a partisan machine. This conduct is unbecoming of the state and leaves the nation weaker and more divided than it has been in years. 

We the citizens issues this formal challenge to President Irfaan Ali and Attorney General Anil Nandlall:

• 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽

Abandon the exclusionary tactics that define your current governance. A sovereign nation in the midst of a border controversy requires a united front, not a partisan echo chamber.

• . 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲:  Extend an immediate, comprehensive briefing to the Leader of the Opposition regarding the upcoming ICJ oral arguments. True statecraft recognizes that national security is a collective burden, not a tool for political posturing.
• . 𝗛𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗖𝗝’𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱: If your administration truly seeks to build the kind of democracy we all aspire to, you must demonstrate it through actions, not slogans. The “One Guyana” rhetoric is empty so long as half the population is treated as a political adversary rather than a stakeholder in our shared future.

The eyes of the international community are indeed on Guyana, and they are seeing a government that chooses fragmentation over cohesion. The President and the Attorney General have a choice: they can continue to govern for their party, or they can step up and lead for the country. 

𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗚𝘂𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲. 𝗔𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, 𝗮 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗯𝗵𝗼𝗿.

𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝘂𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱.

Sincerely 

Hemdutt Kumar