OPINION: Guyanese rushing out now, following foreign leads

Last Updated on Saturday, 17 January 2026, 0:39 by Writer

By GHK Lall

Suddenly, getting parliament going and electing a Leader of the Opposition (LOO) are the most compelling pursuits in Guyana. Everybody and their third cousins and neighbors are coming out and beating a drum, two drums, in fact. Move along with parliament. Move forward with the election and seating of the LOO. Of the LOO, not in the LOO. I observe the call of the herd, the spiritual and psychic energies of Guyanese flaring into full display, with those two drumbeats now resonating to the rooftops. It is an inspiring development that all these voices have come out of the woodwork, and are raised in one concerted, mighty call. There is still hope for Guyana and its democracy, such as claimed and fluently touted.

It is good that the American, British, Canadian, and European plenipotentiaries broke their silence, shortened their distance, on the two issues and uttered their own weighty call, which the PPP Govt ignores to its disfavor. The senior diplomats took their time, then one after the other broke into a chant. Parliament and LOO! Parliament and LOO! They didn’t want to go to the latter; they simply wanted what they worked so hard for behind the scenes to finish the journey. Now, I put a question before my fellow Guyanese: What if the foreigners had said nothing, taken comfort in their prolonged silence, skittish about smears of internal meddling, would any Guyanese other than the irregulars-naysayers, critics, self-appointed experts, and company-have stepped forward and made a contribution to the hostile environment that fostered a parliament hung in effigy, and a LOO left to scramble for recognition? No! They couldn’t have opened their mouths, lost the ability to share a few words. Fear is one factor. Self-interest is another. Who wants to get on the wrong side of the local political mandarins, and single themselves out for special attention and any abhorrent action, with all that oil around? They can check with me for testimony.

But, given that E and B, then A and C emerged from their diplomatic towers (some would say closets) in that same order and spoke with power and vigor, who is going to dare to ignore them? What and spoil all those special relationships! Who is going to play games with them? Not the mighty Excellency Ali, and the no less powerful Vice President, Dr. Jagdeo? Is somebody kidding me! I had repeatedly warned those same fine gentlemen and their cohorts through one refrain: Don’t mess with the Americans. Don’t think of it. Don’t risk it. Look at what became the fate of poor Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. He is not the only one in this area on which huge files have been compiled. Many Guyanese have a good idea about some of that, but no one was venturing out and touching the live wires of parliament and LOO. When the foreign diplomats dipped their toes into those dark and dangerous waters of Guyana, the local barn door broke open.

Out rushed the Guyana Bar Association full of vim, vitality, and newfound courage. That is well with my soul. Next up, came the January surprise. Two of them, in fact, which is too rich for my aging constitution. The cagey Private Sector Commission had to be dragged (invited comment) out of its ivory towers (we don’t get involved in such matters) and given a sharp pinprick relative to parliament and the LOO. Oh, those! Well, the constitution should be followed and parliament moved away from its maddened and maddening state. As if not to play second fiddle, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association also pierced the sound barrier, under prompting, and added its curiously softened voice to the push for parliament to break its strike, and the Speaker’s go-slow political action. He has his own trade union of which he is the only member, and Drs. Ali, Jagdeo, and Nandlall are unpaid consultants. Like I said, when these illustrious Guyanese and Guyanese groups can rise to the occasion, with a helping, goading spur or two doing the trick, all is well with my spirit. When they speak, there is little left for people like me to do. There is no incurring of the wrath of the Office of the President and the operators in the Office of the Prime Minister.

Conclusion: what are Guyanese capable of without the foreign diplomats leading the way, valiantly fetching the burden that Rudyard Kipling spoke so eloquently and arrogantly about? The diplomats weighed in and, lo and behold, Guyanese turned out and joined in the fisticuffs. Watch out! Parliament coming soon. I guarantee it.