Are Guyana’s Parliamentary Committees suspended?

Dear Editor,

I write with deep concern and a sense of urgency regarding a matter that strikes at the very heart of Guyana’s democratic accountability and fiscal integrity. Since the 2025 General and Regional Elections, none of the Parliamentary Committees—particularly the crucial Sectoral and Oversight Committees—have been convened. This is not a procedural oversight; it is a failure of governance with tangible consequences for every citizen of this nation.

Editor, Parliamentary Committees are not ceremonial appendages. They are the primary instruments through which elected representatives scrutinise government spending, evaluate policy implementation, and hold the executive accountable between sittings of the full National Assembly. When these committees do not meet, several ramifications are immediate and severe:

• Wasted public funds: The National Budget, approved months ago, is being executed without meaningful oversight. Every contract awarded, every ministry’s expenditure, and every supplementary allocation remains largely unexamined by the very bodies constitutionally mandated to perform that scrutiny. Taxpayers are effectively funding a system operating without a critical check.
• Weakened transparency: Major development projects, particularly in infrastructure, natural resources, and energy, proceed without parliamentary review of their implementation or adherence to timelines and value-for-money principles. Citizens are left in the dark about how their money is being used.
• Erosion of legislative integrity: Suspending committee operations undermines the principle of separation of powers. It signals that parliamentary oversight is optional, not obligatory. This sets a dangerous precedent for future administrations, regardless of political party.
• Failure to address urgent national issues: From crime, border security, and domestic security to public health and education, sectoral committees are where detailed, evidence-based policy reviews occur. Their absence leaves critical national problems inadequately debated and addressed.

Editor, this situation is a disservice to every Guyanese taxpayer who works hard, remits taxes, and expects in return a government that governs with transparency and respect for democratic institutions. It is also an affront to the thousands of citizens who voted in 2025 believing they had elected a Parliament that would serve as a robust check on executive power. The Opposition that was voted in to scrutinizes with checks and balance remains neutered, not by their own fashion but by the seeming government suspension of parliamentary committee mandates.

To the Government of Guyana: This is not a partisan matter. The failure to convene committees affects every Guyanese, regardless of political affiliation. We call on you to instruct the Clerk of the National Assembly and the leadership of the parliamentary parties to schedule and hold all outstanding committee meetings within the next 30 days. No further delay is acceptable.

The patience of the citizenry is not infinite. Without functioning committees, our parliament is diminished, our public funds are at risk, and our democracy is weaker.