Dear Editor,
I am crestfallen and deeply concerned over the Government of Guyana’s inexcusable three-year delay in releasing the results of the national population census. The census, conducted in 2022, to date, remains shrouded in secrecy, depriving the nation of critical data essential for informed policymaking, equitable resource allocation, and transparent governance. Why is the Guyana government hell bent on keeping the 2022 Census under cover. What damnation is contained therein? Is that a veritable Pandora’s Box? Is this the much ballyhooed “One Guyana”? This abstruse laziness displayed engenders condemnation.
Editor, a population census is not merely a statistical exercise; it is the foundation upon which democratic societies plan for the future. The data gathered informs decisions in healthcare, education, infrastructure, social services, and political representation. Whilst we are on political representation, is Guyana’s Speaker of the House, Mr. Manzoor Nadir traveling in mufti thereby invalidating his presence in Guyana to convene the meeting to elect MP Azruddin Mohamed as the Leader of the Opposition (LOO)? By denying this Constitutional obligation and withholding other information, the government is undermining the very principles of accountability and evidence-based governance that Guyanese citizens deserve.
This 2022 Census delay raises serious questions about the government’s commitment to transparency and its respect for the rights of citizens to access public information. In a nation experiencing rapid economic growth and demographic shifts, the absence of up-to-date census data hampers the ability of businesses, civil society, international partners, and local communities to plan effectively. It also jeopardizes the fair distribution of resources and the integrity of electoral boundaries, which are crucial for a functioning democracy.
Editor, the government’s thunderous silence on the reasons for this 2022 Census delay only deepens public distrust. Guyana deserves better. We demand immediate action: the prompt release of the census data, a clear explanation for the delay, and a commitment to ensuring such failures do not recur.
It is time for the government to uphold its duty to the people of Guyana. Transparency cannot be sacrificed at the altar of political expediency. I call on TIGI, Red Thread, other Guyanese NGOs, and Political Parties to add to the bellwether for the government to release the 2022 Census Data with immediate dispatch.