In a dramatic escalation of Guyana’s parliamentary crisis, Opposition Parliamentarian Amanza Walton-Desir has declared her party’s intention to boycott Monday’s crucial budget reading session. The leader of the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) demands that Speaker Manzoor Nadir first convene opposition legislators to elect a formal Opposition Leader before any fiscal deliberations commence.
Walton-Desir’s statement directly challenges the legitimacy of the upcoming budget presentation by Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, scheduled for January 26, 2026. “We will not sit there and pretend that it is business as usual,” she asserted, emphasizing that her movement “will not lend legitimacy to nonsense” by participating in proceedings while the government “deliberately refuses” to facilitate the constitutional process.
The political stalemate centers on the election of an Opposition Leader following September’s general elections, which returned the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) to power with 36 seats. The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, led by Azruddin Mohamed, emerged as the main opposition with 16 seats, but Mohamed faces potential extradition to the United States over alleged financial crimes.
Walton-Desir, a legal professional, raised substantive questions about budgetary procedures, noting that the Office of the Opposition Leader receives state funding through parliamentary subventions. “Who has been engaged to determine that figure? What figure did they budget for the operation of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition when they have deliberately refused to allow one to be elected?” she questioned.
The constitutional impasse has drawn international attention, with Western diplomats including US Ambassador Nicole Theriot advocating for the election process to proceed. Meanwhile, Attorney General Anil Nandlall has expressed concerns that electing Mohamed would “tarnish the country’s image” and cause “permanent damage” to Guyana’s international standing.
President Irfaan Ali recently claimed his administration has “no business” in determining the Opposition Leader selection, despite previously suggesting the position should go to a female legislator. The President has already appointed members to the Teaching Service Commission without opposition consultation, contrary to constitutional requirements.
Walton-Desir framed the conflict as a fundamental test of Guyana’s democratic integrity: “This is not only disrespect to the Constitution, it is disrespect to the people of Guyana.” She concluded that the PPPC-led administration is “manufacturing normalcy whilst refusing to complete the constitutional architecture, and then using their majority numbers to bulldoze legitimacy.”