Dear Editor,
A troubling paradox is unfolding in our National Assembly, one that is directly impacting the delivery of promised financial relief to Guyanese citizens-the cash grant.
The government rightly states that the much-anticipated one-off cash grant, a measure of critical importance to many households, requires the approval of the National Assembly. This adherence to the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA) is, in principle, correct and necessary for transparent governance. Article 217 (4) of Guyana Constitution mandates parliamentary authorization for withdrawing of money from public funds, ergo, the government must get approval. As is, the funding is authorized through a supplementary appropriation bill, to be scrutinized, debated and approved in/ by Parliament. $30.5 billion in late 2024 and $40 billion in early 2025 are examples that underwent this process.
However, this rightful adherence to procedure has collided headlong with another profound parliamentary failure: the continued government’s obstinacy to elect MP, Azruddin Mohamed, the presumptive Leader of the Opposition (LOO) to this constitutionally mandated position.
This creates an impossible situation for the people. We are being told, effectively, that the government’s hands are tied on the grant because Parliament must approve it. Yet, the very Parliament that must give that approval is itself incomplete and operating in a state of constitutional ambiguity. The seat of the Leader of the Opposition—a cornerstone of our democratic framework designed to ensure scrutiny and balance—remains vacant, not by the choice of the electorate, but by the abuse of power by Guyana’s Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Manzoor Nadir, whether manufactured or instructed. This unresolved impasse is killing the cash grant that the government promised – because cash grant needs parliamentary approval. No opposition leader, no parliament. No parliamentary approval, no cash grant. The sad irony is that very government voted in is denying the very voters, the expected cash grant.
The result is a bureaucratic and political gridlock where the citizens are the ultimate losers. The government’s delay can be framed as “following the law,” while the parliamentary deadlock ensures the law cannot be properly followed. It is a convenient circular argument that leaves thousands of Guyanese families waiting in vain. This is more than a political spat; it is a failure of constitutional duty. The role of the Leader of the Opposition is not a mere formality. It is essential for the formation of key parliamentary committees, for ensuring robust debate on national spending, and for providing the check-and-balance that legitimizes governmental actions. Without it, the very process of approving national expenditure—like the cash grant—is fundamentally flawed. Mr. Nadir, a veteran politician is aware yet appears emasculated.
We must ask our representatives a simple, direct question: Which is the greater priority: maintaining a political stalemate, or swiftly resolving the constitutional crisis so that tangible support can flow to the people?
The continued delay in electing a Leader of the Opposition is now having direct, material consequences. It is being used as the rationale for withholding assistance. This is unacceptable. The National Assembly has a duty to the nation that transcends partisan maneuvering. It must immediately fulfil its constitutional obligation to elect a Leader of the Opposition so that Parliament can function fully, and so that urgent matters of public welfare—like the cash grant—can be addressed without this shadow of illegitimacy and excuse. Elect the Leader of the Opposition now! The people’s needs cannot be held hostage by procedural paralysis. It is time for our leaders to lead, to uphold the Constitution, and to put the nation’s welfare before political gamesmanship.