The Alliance For Change (AFC) has joined mounting calls for the immediate reconvening of Guyana’s Parliament and the activation of key parliamentary oversight committees, warning that the prolonged inactivity of the National Assembly threatens democratic governance and weakens constitutional accountability.
In a statement issued on May 20, the opposition party expressed full support for a recent appeal by the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), which has been lobbying regional and international organisations to pressure the Government to restore the normal functioning of Parliament.
“The Alliance For Change (AFC) fully supports the call made by the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) for the urgent reconvening of the National Assembly and the reactivation of the Parliamentary Standing and Sectoral Committees, all of which are essential to the proper functioning of Guyana’s parliamentary democracy,” the AFC said.
The party stressed that Parliament remains the highest forum for national debate, legislation and oversight, and warned that its continued dormancy undermines democratic institutions.
“Parliament is the supreme deliberative forum of the people of Guyana. Its prolonged dormancy, and the failure to convene the Standing Committees charged with oversight and accountability, represent a dangerous and deliberate weakening of democratic governance,” the AFC stated.
The AFC’s intervention comes amid growing scrutiny over the status of Guyana’s 13th Parliament, which has not sat for more than three months since the passage of the 2026 National Budget. The prolonged inactivity has sparked concerns among opposition parties, governance advocates, civil society organisations and international observers about the erosion of parliamentary oversight and democratic accountability during a period of unprecedented economic growth driven by the country’s oil sector.
The National Assembly last met on February 14 when lawmakers approved the $1.38 trillion national budget. Since then, no date has been announced for another sitting, while several key oversight mechanisms, including the Public Accounts Committee and Parliamentary Sectoral Committees, have yet to become operational.
In Guyana’s parliamentary democracy, the National Assembly serves as the principal institution for scrutinising government spending and policies, debating legislation, approving laws, and holding the Executive accountable. Through parliamentary questions, motions, committee investigations and debates, elected representatives are afforded the opportunity to examine government decisions, review public expenditure and ensure transparency in the management of state resources.
The absence of parliamentary sittings and committee meetings removes one of the country’s most important democratic checks and balances. Without regular oversight, government programmes and expenditure receive less public scrutiny, legislative business is delayed, and opposition parliamentarians have fewer opportunities to question ministers and raise issues of national importance. Governance advocates have argued that such circumstances are particularly concerning as Guyana manages billions of United States dollars in petroleum revenues and undertakes major infrastructure and development projects.
Against that backdrop, the AFC accused the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration of deliberately weakening democratic safeguards through what it described as the misuse of constitutional and parliamentary procedures.
“The AFC strongly condemns the continued manipulation and abuse of the Constitution and the Standing Orders of the National Assembly by the PPP/C Administration in its apparent quest to extinguish the light of parliamentary democracy and weaken institutional checks and balances. Such conduct undermines transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the democratic process,” the statement said.
The issue has increasingly drawn international attention. Diplomatic missions representing the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union recently called for the immediate reconvening of Parliament, stressing that a functioning legislature is vital for democratic governance, accountability and effective oversight during Guyana’s rapid economic transformation.
The AFC said it was troubling that foreign diplomats had found it necessary to intervene in what should be a routine constitutional matter.
“It is deeply unfortunate that the diplomatic community has once again found it necessary to intervene in a matter that ought to be routine and standard operating procedure in any properly functioning parliamentary democracy,” the party said.
“Guyana’s 60th Anniversary as an independent nation is meaningless if we neuter the National Assembly and have to rely on foreigners to tell us how to govern. The convening of Parliament and its committees should never depend on external prompting or pressure. The Government of Guyana has a constitutional and moral obligation to ensure that democratic institutions function effectively and continuously.”
The diplomatic intervention followed a campaign by the FGM, which has written to CARICOM, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Organisation of American States, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and other international organisations raising concerns over what it describes as a prolonged parliamentary shutdown and broader democratic decline.
The movement has argued that the continued absence of parliamentary sittings weakens constitutional governance and reduces oversight of public spending and policy decisions at a time when scrutiny is most needed because of unprecedented petroleum revenues. It has also raised concerns about restrictions on media access to Parliament, limitations on parliamentary speech and the failure to establish critical oversight committees more than six months after the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
According to reports, Prime Minister Mark Phillips has been unable to indicate when Parliament will next meet, while Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs has confirmed that no sitting date has been set.
The AFC is now urging opposition parties to unite behind calls for Parliament’s restoration.
“The Alliance For Change therefore calls upon the other opposition parties, and particularly, WIN [We Invest in Nationhood] and APNU [A Partnership for National Unity], to publicly support the petition and join the collective call for Parliament to be made fully functional without further delay. At this critical juncture, political differences must be set aside in defence of democratic governance, constitutional rule, and parliamentary oversight,” the statement said.
The party also announced plans to formally raise the issue with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
“Further, the AFC wishes to announce that it will be formally writing to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) to lodge a complaint concerning Guyana’s ongoing breach of accepted parliamentary norms, democratic conventions, and the principles of accountable governance expected of Commonwealth member states.”
Guyana is currently one of the world’s fastest-growing economies as a result of offshore oil production led by ExxonMobil and its partners. The country has recorded double-digit economic growth for several consecutive years and is projected to remain among the fastest-growing economies globally. However, opposition parties and governance advocates have repeatedly argued that strong parliamentary scrutiny is essential to ensure transparency, accountability and proper management of the nation’s rapidly expanding oil wealth.
“The people of Guyana deserve a Parliament that works in their interest — one that debates, scrutinises, legislates, and holds the Executive accountable. Democracy cannot survive in darkness, silence, and institutional paralysis,” the AFC declared.
