For the first time since the September 2025 General and Regional Elections, Guyana’s opposition—both inside and outside Parliament—has united behind a single national cause, mounting a coordinated challenge to the Government’s handling of the MV Barima disaster and warning that President Irfaan Ali’s newly announced Commission of Inquiry (COI) must not become a substitute for parliamentary accountability or an independent international marine safety investigation.

President Ali announced the Commission on Saturday afternoon, stating that its composition, terms of reference and other operational details would be made public today.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday, July 25, the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), Alliance For Change (AFC) and the Vigilant Political Action Committee (VPAC) welcomed the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry but questioned both the manner in which it was constituted and the timing of its announcement.