Presentations at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) cannot substitute for accountability at home. Respect for human rights is not established by polished speeches, diplomatic assurances or carefully crafted narratives before international audiences. It is demonstrated through the treatment of citizens, the protection of dissent, the independence of institutions and the willingness of those in power to tolerate scrutiny.
On these measures, the government faces serious questions.
Concerns persist about the shrinking space for free expression, the use of state power against perceived critics and the consequences faced by individuals and organisations unwilling to toe the governing party’s line. Citizens should not have to calculate the personal, professional or financial risks of speaking openly about their government. Yet the fear of repercussions remains an unsettling feature of the country’s political climate.
Freedom of expression means little if people are afraid to exercise it. A democracy cannot credibly claim to uphold fundamental rights while citizens feel compelled to remain silent to protect their livelihoods, reputations or opportunities. Nor can press freedom be judged solely by whether media houses operate or journalists publish stories. The real test is whether journalists can investigate those in authority, challenge official accounts and expose wrongdoing without intimidation, retaliation or discriminatory treatment.
The government must also answer questions about inclusive governance. Participation in a democracy must extend beyond casting a ballot every five years. It requires meaningful opportunities for opposition parties, trade unions, civil society organisations and independent voices to influence public policy, scrutinise public spending and participate in decisions affecting the nation’s future.
When access, consultation and economic opportunities appear to favour political loyalty, mouthing inclusion is a farce not a governing principle. Guyana’s oil wealth belongs to its people, not exclusively to those who control the government. The benefits of national development and the right to shape the country’s future must not depend on political allegiance or silence in the face of excesses.
Workers’ rights must be an integral part of any credible claim to human rights protection. Workers must be free to join a trade union of their choice, or to refrain from joining one, without intimidation, discrimination or fear of victimisation. Their right to organise, have their interests represented and engage in collective bargaining for better wages, working conditions and benefits must be respected.
Collective bargaining is not a privilege that government or employers may grant or withdraw at their discretion. It is a fundamental labour right. When workers’ freedom to organise is undermined, or their representatives are sidelined because they challenge those in authority, the government’s claims of respecting human rights and practising inclusive governance come under serious scrutiny.
Trade unions must be able to defend workers without political interference. Civil society must be free to challenge public policy without being treated as an enemy. Opposition parties must be able to scrutinise the government without facing institutional obstacles. Individuals must be free to disagree without fear of punishment.
They are essential conditions of democratic government.
The contradiction between the government’s international messaging and concerns expressed within Guyana demands more than a public relations defence. It requires independent scrutiny, transparent institutions, equal treatment under the law and credible safeguards against the abuse of state power.
The PPP/C government cannot simply declare that human rights are respected and expect the nation to accept that assertion as fact. Its record must withstand examination by citizens, journalists, trade unions, civil society and opposition parties.
Guyana’s democratic standing will not be determined by what the government tells the IPU, but by whether ordinary Guyanese can exercise their rights without fear.
Until citizens can speak freely, workers can organise and bargain collectively, and people from all political persuasions can participate meaningfully in national life without intimidation or exclusion, claims of exemplary human rights protection and inclusive governance will remain at odds with the reality many Guyanese say they experience.
