Parliament Must Reject President’s MV Barima Inquiry Commission

Dear Editor

[Monday] July 27, 2026, I had confirmed, that there was no discussion or any form of consultation with the leader of the opposition, and even more distressing was parliament, the representative of all of our people, was not summoned to be briefed on what took place with the MV Barima, the worst maritime disaster in Guyana’s history.

It is no secret that when President Ali was appointed president, I was among those who asked to, as we say in Guyana, “give him a chance”. This unilateral declaration of naming five persons as commissioners to look into the Barima tragedy is an abomination, unacceptable in a country where the government administration boasts its democratic credentials.

Parliament should condemn these appointments and demand its withdrawal. Our parliament should express horrors that the president has named persons with no intimate knowledge of Guyana. Today there are credible Guyanese with experience and integrity, at home and abroad, who could have been identified.

As mentioned before, a vital element is the terms of reference. We must avoid the old trick of a commission whose terms of reference avoid dealing with responsibility or culpability of the top brass.

If the government persists, or is consumed with arrogance and political myopia, it will then be left up to the people and their organisations to express their dissatisfaction within the confines of the law, a universal practice observed throughout modern history, for example, Russia 1905, Mexico 1910, Vietnam 1946, Hungary 1956 and South Africa 1948 – 1994.

Yours truly,

Hamilton Green