OPINION: Four ambassadors weighing in, one president rearing up

Last Updated on Sunday, 11 January 2026, 14:11 by Writer

By GHK Lall

The European Union’s Ambassador, Luca Pierantoni took the first step, broke the ice. Next up, was Excellency Jane Miller, British High Commissioner to Guyana. Sunday morning greeted with the headline that senior US and Canadian diplomats added their powerful voices to the chorus. It is the same line from all four plenipotentiaries with two key phrases: let’s get parliament going, and a Leader of the Opposition seated. I say, why not? And more than timely, if not overdue, since the elections were done and delivered in the first week of September. Looks like a third of a year has elapsed, but the Speaker is fidgeting, and the president is lashing out.

“Absolutely ridiculous”, thundered the Mighty Ali in his best imitation of Thor, the thunder god of the Norsemen. The PPP Govt has nothing to do with that, and just to ensure that Guyanese (and the foreign diplomatic contingent) heard him clearly, the president repeated himself. Leader of the Opposition (LOO) is their business, has nothing to do with the government and its business. Yes, my Lord Ali. But the LOO process and election cannot be set in motion by Big Maaakit (Stabroek), or in the compound of the Big Haaspital (GPHC). It has to be parliament, and since the government sews up and ties up more of its business outside of parliament, let them try with their business about election of the LOO.

Apparently, the ABCE people do, with the chief diplomats of those countries having their say. Whatever Dr. Ali says (“absolutely ridiculous” and ‘not his govt’s business’) suffers from a lack of, shall I say, consistency and credibility. For there was the Hon. Attorney General, Anil Nandlall telling the world before Excellency Ali went on his high horse, that the WIN man taking up his parliamentary role, and LOO mantle, would be a “stigma.” A stigma is a blotch, a discredit, a development that would haul the hallowed halls (and rafters) of parliament into the gutter. So, who has it right? Who should be on the same page and singing the same song? One said a besmirchment, the other howls “absolutely ridiculous.” Before the president goes off on one of his now patented outbursts, it would be helpful if he consults with more seasoned heads, who make great efforts to maintain calm in the face of tough questions.

It is very easy to get under Pres. Ali’s skin. Just ask him a question that gets his blood boiling, his pretended righteous indignation flowing, and he goes overboard. Never saw a national leader that loses his cool so swiftly over issues so simple. If the government has no bone to pick in the election of a LOO, then it is inexplicable that the Speaker of the National Assembly is so accidentally absent and cleverly silent. With respect, the Speaker is not known to act on his own. If he had a problem with a condolence and moment of silence motion, then clearly, he is a referee not ever going to go against the grain. Or his own conclusions about what his sponsors have in mind, would be sure to be pleasing.

I peel this layer by layer. WIN’s Mohamed has been available, and repeatedly said so. There is no contentiousness between the opposition parties about who should or should not be the LOO. The Clerk of the House spoke about process and procedures. Others had their say about the Constitution. I say, just get the damn thing over and done with. Dr. Ali can rail, but nobody takes him seriously these days. I don’t. AG Nandlall can dig up some strange word like stigma and I respond to him with my own: anathema. In other words, cut the fluff and froth. It is Sunday morning, so I withheld filth. I don’t think Mr. Azruddin Mohamed looks any lesser for all these shenanigans. That newborn baby belongs to the PPP Govt. All the other participants took paternity tests, and got exemptions.

Now that four sets of Guyana’s foreign managers have broken their own silence, Pres. Ali has a choice. Hang on to his self-sabotaging posture of “absolutely ridiculous”. Or appreciate that by subtraction, the parliamentary void, plus a platform for finalizing the LOO issue, points right back at his government. To repeat: The Opposition is ready to go. The PPP Govt is left holding the bag on both parliament and developments on election of the LOO. Finally, Pres. Ali fancies himself a supersalesman. He has a problem: few believers, less buyers.